Pour Some Sugar on Me
by xMidnightxDrearyx
Summary: The well closed up for good. Five years later, Kagome finds herself living on her own, working a job she'd rather not in order to pay for school. She is pleased that her new neighbor is a familiar face from a distant past, but she puts in every effort to make sure he doesn't find out the truth about her job.
1. Step Inside

Glitter and sweat covered her well-toned body, a feeling she had grown accustomed to since she started working at the Silver Lotus. It was a requirement that all dancers be sprayed with sparkly body mist to ensure their "silvery" appearance. Kagome hated it as much as the other dancers did. What she hated even more, were their stage names. Each dancer took on the name of a flower. It was the corniest thing ever and she was sure even some of their customers found it too cheesy to bear, not that it stopped them from coming in.

She'd been given the alias Amaryllis, which wasn't as bad as some of the others, but it still reminded her of an STD. It was just the consequence of working at a strip club. That, and constantly coming home at the unholiest hours of the night. Her grades suffered every now and again because of this, but she always brought them back up. They were, after all, the reason she worked as an exotic dancer.

Sure, she could have worked at a fast food joint or a shop in the mall, she probably could have even been a secretary… if any of those places had been willing to hire her. Unfortunately, none of them were. It was when she was walking out of another joke of an interview that a middle-aged woman with pale blonde hair, who she had learned was named Margo and would become Kagome's future employer, came up to her and asked if she liked really nice, really _expensive_ shoes.

The shoes were a marvelous pro, she couldn't lie. They were always as dazzling as the scanty costumes she had to wear. That wasn't the only bright side to being a dancer at the Silver Lotus, either. Kagome's favorite part about being Amaryllis, surprisingly, was the pole-dancing. Pole-dancing turned out to be one of the best work outs of her entire life. Each new tantalizing dance she performed with her inanimate partner left her feeling sexy and confident. Of course, she learned to block out the hoots and hollers from the men watching her. More often than not she'd shoot them what appeared to be a seductively coy smile, but in reality she imagined pinning them to their chairs with her sacred arrows.

The act was upheld, though. Kagome, or rather Amaryllis, had every man eating out of the palm of her hand from open to close. Closing time, however, varied drastically every night. They were supposed to shut down at midnight, but seldom did. Kagome stumbled into her apartment at 2:37 AM, exhausted beyond belief and smelling like the cologne of the men she'd been dancing with all night. Her black bag was thrown to the floor without a care after she closed the door behind her, landing with a heavy thud.

She shrugged off the oversized maroon hoodie she wore for the ride home to reveal a gray tank top above her black sweatpants. Any indication that the twenty-two year old was a stripper had been snuffed out with the modest loungewear. A quick update on the time left Kagome debating whether or not she should wait until morning to shower. This was the latest she'd come home from work in a long while and she desperately needed the sleep after a hectic night of switching between lap dances and studying in the back.

"Ugh," She sighed, plopping on the sofa, "I'm so tired but I feel so gross and itchy." Her whining went without response as she sat alone in her little apartment. "I should have just asked Izumi to cover for me tonight. She would have done it!" Kicking off her white flip-flops, Kagome laid herself out on the couch and checked her cell phone for any missed calls.

No one had tried calling her that night, but there was a text message from her landlady. It read:

 _Kagome, if you're not busy tomorrow I could use your help. New neighbor moving in next door_

The miko-turned-dancer smiled kindly at the request. Her landlady was an elderly woman that introduced herself as Mrs. Fiona Schultz but insisted upon being called by her first name, and she was the sweetest lady Kagome had ever met. This made it difficult to turn down her plea. As anyone else would have done, she caved in and agreed to help Fiona in assisting their new neighbor move.

 _Sorry, just getting home from work now. Would love to help! I'll be good to go by nine_

With that reply, Kagome hooked up her phone to charge for the night and fell asleep right there on the couch. She had a long day ahead of her despite not having any classes, and only hoped that the moving process wouldn't take up too much time before she had to go to work. Her concerns did not follow her into her slumber, as the woman's dreams were littered with puppy ears, giant boomerangs, and jewel shards.

The nostalgic dreams came to a sudden end some time later when Kagome woke with a falling sensation. It took her a moment to shake off her panicked feeling. "I hate it when that happens," She mumbled tiredly while rubbing her eyes. "What time is it anyways?" She quickly checked her phone to see it was 7:45 AM and felt proud of herself for getting five full hours of sleep. With that in mind, she made her way into the bathroom to shower at last.

Her baggy clothes were shed from her body once she had the water running at a warm enough temperature and she hopped in. It rarely took Kagome more than fifteen minutes to shave and wash her hair and her body, she just stayed in for the extra ten to fifteen minutes because of how soothing the water's warmth felt on her skin. She welcomed the comforting caress of the water as she went over her day's agenda in her head.

 _After this, I need to get ready and help Fiona with the new neighbor. I'll have to run to the grocery store at some point, too, if I have time. Grab something to eat once I've finished my errands and then start my shift at the Lotus._

"Piece of cake," Kagome reassured. With her schedule in mind, the miko decided to cut her shower short to brush her teeth and get dressed. Her choice in attire was a dark purple tank top, jean shorts, and black sneakers. She tied her damp hair back into a pony, applied deodorant, and grabbed a banana for breakfast. Not long after doing so, her phone began to buzz noisily, coercing her to check it promptly to reveal another text from Fiona.

 _Wonderful, dear, thank you very much! Stop by once you're ready_

With a smile, Kagome packed her work bag with everything she needed for that evening and left much earlier than she thought she would. She rushed down the stairs with her bag hanging off her shoulder and stopped at her landlady's door. Fiona answered right away, standing at a tiny 4'10" with her gray hair pinned up and sporting her large, thick-framed glasses. Mrs. Schultz, after all, was as blind as a bat.

"Good morning, dear! Oh, I'm so glad you could help today. You look just lovely, by the way, I love that color on you." The old woman greeted her.

Giggling, Kagome bowed her head. "Thank you, Fiona. I'm more than happy to help. Who's the new neighbor?" Fiona's hand went to her heart as she quietly closed the door behind them.

"He's inside, I invited him over for coffee before we started." She stated in a hushed tone. "Kagome, he is just about the most handsome man I have ever seen. He's tall, very muscular, and he's a few years older than you are." She hinted suggestively while lightly elbowing the dancer's right arm.

 _Does she actually need my help, or is she just trying to set me up with someone again?_

"You _have_ to meet this man, dear, you absolutely _have_ to. Try not to fall in love right on the spot." Fiona joked and opened the door to call out to the man inside. "Mr. Taisho, there's someone I want you to meet! Come in, Kagome." Fiona took Kagome by the hand and led her into the dining room where a very attractive man sat at the rounded table with a coffee mug in his hands.

Although said male had short black hair and the clearest skin she'd seen in her life, Kagome could spot those cold eyes anywhere, even if they were altered to appear brown instead of the familiar gold. It didn't even matter that his demonic aura had been masked, her advanced miko abilities saw straight through the act. "Sesshomaru?" She whispered in pure disbelief.

It was strange to see him dressed so casually. Sesshomaru had never, ever struck her as the jeans and t-shirt type of fellow, yet here he was. The daiyoukai wore dark jeans, black sneakers, and a simple blue t-shirt. He arched his brow, both confused and curious. Looking over the woman before him, something snapped in Sesshomaru. He had known this woman from long ago.

"You…" He whispered in turn. Yes, he knew this brazen, outspoken archer. It had been centuries, but his memories of her were now more than refreshed. Besides, forgetting a first impression such as Kagome's was not something easily done. They stared at each other for a short while, neither really knowing what to say to the other. From enemies, to allies, to something she assumed to be friends, Kagome still had no idea how to properly greet Sesshomaru.

Fiona looked on at the awkward reunion. "You two have already met?"

Kagome averted her gaze for a moment to spare the old woman a glance. "We knew each other when we were teenagers. Um, I guess we kind of lost touch."

The demon in disguise stayed silent, not denying Kagome's explanation. "I was a friend of his brother's, actually. It's good to see you again, Sesshomaru." She gave him a genuinely polite smile, trying to hide how excited she was becoming.

He only nodded once. "You look well, Kagome." Her smile grew, until Fiona spoke up.

"That's so nice! Kagome, I see you have your work bag. Are you at the Lotu-" The miko felt her freak-out coming in the form of goosebumps and a jolt in her legs, and quickly cut the old woman off without hesitation, beginning to back away closer to the door.

"Yes! Right, right, I am. I'll just go put my bag in the car and um… I'll come back to help you guys with the move." She paused. "Be right back." Bolting out the door felt like the only option she had at the time.

 _No, no, no! There is no way in hell I'm letting Sesshomaru of all people find out how I make a living. I'm ashamed of being ashamed… but this is_ _ **Sesshomaru**_ _we're talking about. It's okay to feel like that, right?_

This wasn't the first time Kagome didn't want certain people to know about her current job. Her family, for one, didn't know the truth. The three of them were under the impression she worked as a waitress in a bar. Fiona was a different case, being her landlady and all. Kagome did come home at the most undesirable times and the miko had no hope of passing it off as hanging out with friends or working late at the restaurant.

So yes, Fiona knew that Kagome worked as an exotic dancer, and she was about to blab to a lethal, daunting daiyoukai that already looked down on Kagome. One could only imagine how he would feel about Amaryllis. For the time being, Kagome decided she would rather imagine it than see for herself.

She put her bag in the passenger seat of her car, a silver 2006 Jetta, and took a minute to calm down before going back inside. She had to go back in, she promised she would help. And help, she would. All Kagome's previously racing thoughts had settled considerably and she was now able to think clearly.

 _All I have to do is be private about my work life, and I really doubt he'll even ask. Besides, Sesshomaru moving in next door is a good thing. I have so many questions. I have to know about Inuyasha and the others._

Just then, her phone went off. She groaned in response as she pulled it out of her pocket to check it. "Ugh, what now?"

One of the other dancers from the Lotus, Yoko AKA Lily, had texted her.

 _Heads up, we're doing our theme songs tonight and Margo said we have a whole new wardrobe. Shoot me!_

Kagome very nearly face palmed, but instead pinched the bridge of her nose as she texted back with one hand.

 _Not before you shoot me._

Tapping the send button angrily, Kagome shoved her phone back into her pocket and made her way back to Fiona's apartment. "This is the last thing I need right now." She muttered to herself. The sun was blazing with a fury today, at hardly 9:30 in the morning, so this mission was sure to be absolutely miserable. "His new place better be air-conditioned."

She found out Sesshomaru's home did, in fact, have air conditioning within an hour as she set down a large box in what would soon be the dining room.

"This place is pretty roomy for just you, huh?" The question was directed to Sesshomaru, who appeared to have hardly broken a sweat.

He spared her a glance from the doorway. "Hn," High ceilings, spacious rooms, and large windows made the house quite sizeable, indeed. It made sense, though, as the miko could never picture the demon living in a small place.

"Chatty as ever, too" She said more to herself but knew Sesshomaru would hear it regardless. "How old are you now anyways; one thousand? You look good for your age." The girl couldn't help it, she was paid to tease men, it was natural to do it for her own amusement every now and again. Truthfully, she was just trying to make conversation with Sesshomaru.

"Just about," He meant it as a joke, but he wasn't lying. Sesshomaru was a little under nine hundred years old, which was nothing impressive by demon standards. Humans, on the other hand, could be easily blown away or even crushed by this simple fact. He assumed that was why Kagome's mouth hung open in a manner most unflattering. "You'll catch flies if you keep your mouth open like that for much longer."

Fixing her expression, Kagome simply shook her head as she leaned against a wall. Fiona was outside talking to one of the other neighbors so neither of them feared any eavesdroppers. "I'll never get used to how old you demons get. Almost one thousand years old and you hardly look a day over twenty-five. Talk about unfair. I swear you guys don't age at all as you get older."

The daiyoukai smirked. "Something like that." The two of them continued to tease and poke fun at each other as the afternoon went on and they brought more boxes in.

Fiona was allowed to solely carry smaller or extremely light boxes along with a lamp or two. Aside from that, she supervised and gossiped with a few neighbors. Kagome didn't complain, though, since she never had much alone time with Sesshomaru except on a few rare occasions. Now was as good a time as any to get to know him.

What should she do? Invite him for a drink, maybe? Terribly cliché, but typically effective. She could always offer to make him dinner, or they could go out to eat. He might think she was hitting on him, but then again he probably knew better than that. She figured he wouldn't appreciate dancing, so going to the club was out of the question. What's a poor girl to do?

"We're nearly done here," Sesshomaru's deep voice cut through her train of thought. "And Mrs. Schultz has decided to go home to call her sister. I need to run a few errands before I start unpacking."

"Oh, okay. I'm glad I could help you out, so I guess I'll see you-"

"You're coming with me." She looked at him oddly when he interrupted her. It was rather unlike him. "We're going out to lunch." He stated bluntly. "You don't expect I let your labor go without thanks, do you?"

A faint blush colored her pale cheeks. "Well, I kind of volunteered to do this. You don't have to get me lunch, Sesshomaru, it's really okay." Even in the guise of a human, the powerful and expectant gaze he gave her was enough to unnerve her and accept the invitation. "Alright, alright, I'll go. But you owe me some answers."

"The same goes for you." She rolled her blue eyes and smiled. To be in a car with Sesshomaru was something she only ever dreamt about when she hit the liquor a little too hard. In real life… it was much weirder.

He was silent in the passenger seat, naturally, but Kagome never did like quiet car rides. Even while she drove alone, she could not find it in her to tolerate the silence. Blasting the radio, both during solo rides and drives with certain friends, had become a habit.

"So how've you been?" She asked in an effort to obliterate the awkwardness in the car, taking a left turn while doing so.

"I'd be better if you had let me drive my own car." He bit. For some reason, the student refused to let him in her car, yet managed to swipe his keys from him and jumped into the driver's seat of his 2014 Lincoln MKX. The car, of course, was white.

Kagome's lips pursed and she let out a short breath through her nose. "I don't trust your driving."

"Nonsense, I've been driving since cars were invented. Find a new excuse, miko."

Surprisingly, she smiled and laughed at the title. "It's been so long since I've heard you call me that. God, I missed you." Sesshomaru gave her a funny look, brown eyes now their natural gold. "You know what I mean, don't make it weird."

The stoic demon lord leaned his head back and inhaled deeply. "I understand." He understood more than he was willing to let on. Sesshomaru, too, yearned to return to the Feudal era. Things weren't so complicated. The air was cleaner, the children were obedient, and if a man gave you trouble you could cut him down and no one would think anything of it. More importantly, demons were not only believed in, but roamed the lands freely. There were times when Sesshomaru himself wondered how humans convinced themselves that his kind had been nothing but fiction. Now here he was, putting in more effort than ever to look like one of them and for what? To avoid startling mankind? What did he care?

Had he been a witless oaf, he would have long ago made an appearance as the great dog demon he himself had turned out to be. However, Sesshomaru was not brainless, if anything he was far too intelligent for his own good. So incognito he stayed. "You were able to see through the concealment spell pretty quickly. Your power has improved, you've grown stronger."

Driving down the straight road before them, Kagome looked at him from the corner of her eye. "Sesshomaru, did you just compliment me?" With a giggle, she apologized. "Sorry, I tease a lot. I wouldn't do it if I didn't like you."

"I've seen what you do to those you dislike. I'm content with the teasing." Their chat was delightfully pleasant. Sesshomaru was no longer the uptight lord she had known him to be. Whether or not he was merely casting his glacial ruthlessness aside for her because she was familiar, she couldn't tell, but she couldn't complain either.

 _Having him living next door might not be so bad. I'm actually having_ _ **fun**_ _… with_ _ **Sesshomaru**_ _. Never thought I'd live to see the day._

Instead of going to lunch, the two decided to go out for a joy ride. There was plenty of gas in the tank, and Sesshomaru didn't mind it. Hours went by of just driving and talking, asking him about living through the centuries and the wars, asking her about her studies, it was a great time. But all fun must come to an end at some point, and Kagome noted she had an hour to get back to her place to get ready for her shift.

"Hey, um," She began, uncharacteristically nervous. "Do you mind if we head back home? I gotta start getting ready for work."

"That's not a problem. Once you're ready, I'll drop you off at work." Every one of her limbs froze, her heart skipped a beat or two, and her eyes grew wide at the kind offer.

The only thought in her mind: _Fuck me._


	2. Lookin Like a Tramp

They very nearly crashed due to Kagome's stunned state, but luckily she snapped out of it in time to readjust the wheel.

"What was that all about?" Sesshomaru asked, startled by the young woman's sudden change in mood as well as the fact that she nearly wrecked his new car.

Shaking her head as if to rid herself of her thoughts, Kagome apologized to him and took the next right to go home. "Sorry, um, brain fart," She didn't realize she'd actually said the term 'brain fart' in front of Sesshomaru until it was far too late. "Yeah, but anyways, you should be setting up your new house. Aren't you excited at all?"

"I've resided in many houses since we last saw each other." He continued to give her an odd look, wondering to himself why she seemed so anxious. Then again, he'd always known her to be odd.

"I was talking about living next door to me, but I guess houses can be exciting, too." At least she was joking again, and the dog demon pondered when she had gained such a sense of humor.

"Indeed. Anyhow, I'll unpack while you're at work." He stated as if it was a nonchalant affair. In any other case, it would be, but Fate was unkind to the secretive dancer.

 _Does he plan on picking me up, too?!_

The car came to a halt at a red light, allowing Kagome to look over at the man beside her. "What do you mean?"

Must he explain everything to her? "I drop you off, come home, unpack, and pick you up. It's very simple."

Her brow furrowed and her nose twitched as it always did when she was frustrated. This guy's sarcasm was unmatched by anyone else's, even hers, and she'd grown to be pretty damn sarcastic after graduating high school and starting college.

The light turned green and Kagome drove on. "I appreciate the offer, but I don't get out of work until late. Matter of fact, I don't even know what exact time I get out. It wouldn't be fair that you had to stay up until two in the morning just to pick me up."

"You couldn't live with the guilt, I'm sure."

"Right! See? Now you're catching on!" Was his sarcastic quip suggesting he'd just stay home and let her go about her business?

They pulled into his driveway and parked as she received her answer. "I still owe you for your help today. Text me when your shift ends, I'll be up."

At this point, Kagome was just about ready to slash his tires. There was no way she was going to get out of this unless she did something as drastic as that. Taking into consideration her method of income, she became aware of all the drastic things she was more than capable of doing.

It was risky business, though. Flirting with a Sesshomaru that had five hundred years to develop into an entirely new person might not be the best idea; she wasn't even sure if he'd get uncomfortable and turn her down as she wished. And if he did get uncomfortable, would he ever speak to her again? Would he speak to her again if he found out about Amaryllis?

On both cases, she was willing to bet not.

 _Come on, Kagome, think!_

A better, safer idea came to light upon her mental command.

"What if I was planning to go out with a couple of friends?" She'd been so relieved to think of such an excuse, but the relief was short-lived as he reached over to pluck her phone from her pocket, scoffing as he did so.

"You'd go out at two in the morning when you have classes tomorrow afternoon?" His quick digits added his information into Kagome's contact list, and Kagome herself wanted to run away as fast as she possibly could.

 _Shit, I did tell him that didn't I? And I do have class tomorrow… don't I?_

This was not going to end well. In a last effort, she attempted to strike a deal with him. "Tell you what, instead of driving me to and from work, you drive me to and from school? That way you can buy me lunch, too! It'll be great. And like I said, I don't trust your driving. You think I'm getting into a car with you at night?"

A low, rumbling sound from his chest made its way to her ears. "Did you just growl at me?!" She shrieked.

"You irk me." He growled once more, now unwilling to return her phone.

"Just how am I irking you, Lord Sesshomaru?" She inquired mockingly. A bit of red outlined his irises, but his aura gave away that he meant no harm.

"You almost totaled my car and have the nerve to doubt my driving abilities." She slouched in the driver's seat, neither of them moving to get out of the Lincoln. In the stillness of it all, Kagome realized he was right, and finding a way out of this was practically impossible.

Feelings of guilt soon consumed the miko and she sympathized with Sesshomaru's frustration. He was only trying to be nice, which was an enormous deal to her because the former Lord of the West had never been known for his kindness. It was a bit hypocritical of her, but she was so scared of Sesshomaru finding out the truth… and on his first day here.

Their gazes connected in a blue and gold mix, and Kagome fought against herself to make sure she didn't involuntarily show him how distressed she was through her eyes. Even though his stare burned straight through her, the miko managed to keep face. "You're right, sorry, that was pretty shitty of me. Why don't you come in while I get ready?"

His brow arched in confusion and curiosity. "You want me to stay as you prepare?"

"Yeah, come on, I'll make you coffee. You're gonna be up late anyways, right?" She smiled at him and got out of the car, taking his keys with her. Sesshomaru wordlessly followed her up the stairs to her apartment, thanking the heavens that the chatty old woman on the first floor was too busy to greet him once more.

Two fingers slid smoothly into her pocket to retrieve the key to the apartment, and Kagome unlocked the door. "It's not all that impressive, but it's not bad. Make yourself at home, turn on the TV, do whatever you want, we have forty-five minutes. I'll start your coffee."

He shook his head. "That is not necessary. I can make it myself; you need to wash your hair." Sesshomaru immediately set to making the coffee, leaving Kagome a smidge insulted but happy to have the time to shower again.

It didn't strike either of them as odd that she would shower while he was in the other room. She'd bathed in hot springs near Inuyasha and Miroku countless times. Anyone around at that time would know bathing near Miroku was far more awkward than bathing near Sesshomaru, mainly because the monk would try to peek. Not only that, but this was a different time. Propriety wasn't as crucial anymore and almost everyone held a casual and laidback air.

Needless to say, a certain demon was none too pleased about the decline in sophistication and decency as time passed him by. He kept his own morals and mannerisms, though, adapting every now and then so as to not stand out too heavily.

Here he was now in the twenty-first century, in the apartment of a former enemy making coffee for the both of them as she got ready for work. It was after he heard the sound of water running in the bathroom he decided to free himself of the spell he used every day. Closing his eyes and inhaling deeply, his hair turned white and began to grow until it reached his knees. Points formed on the ends of his ears, his finger nails stretched and shaped themselves into his fatal claws, and his demonic markings reappeared on his skin. Lastly, his fangs lengthened as he let out a soft snarl.

If he was going to be here for the better part of an hour then he might as well let loose for the time being. He decided to make Kagome's drink with milk and sugar, the same way he took his, since he had no idea how she took hers. The bathroom door opened a few minutes later and Kagome stepped out with a large white towel wrapped around her frame and a small pink one wrapped around her hair.

"Hey, are you- oh!" She was startled to see him standing in her kitchen looking like the mighty daiyoukai she had known him to be. "You changed… and you made me coffee, too? Sesshomaru, that's so sweet, thank you!" A smile spread across her face as she briskly walked by him to gawk at the green and blue cups. "Which one's mine?"

Gesturing to the steaming cups, he simply said "Whichever you want, they're both made the same way." He could see Kagome hesitating for a moment. "Is something wrong?"

She looked at him from over her shoulder and gave a small smile. "No, it's just weird to see you like this." A silver brow arched, urging her to explain. "You're in my apartment looking like you used to, and you just made me coffee. And I'm naked. It's pretty surreal, don't you think?"

"Hn," Taking a step in her direction, Sesshomaru smirked and took the blue cup for himself. "I suppose. You don't seem to mind your nakedness as much as I would expect."

Hands on her hips, Kagome's lip curled upward to flash her seductive smirk. "You don't seem to mind my nakedness as much as I'd expect either, Lord Sesshomaru." She turned around to grab her coffee and slowly sipped at it, so she didn't see when Sesshomaru's fingers tightened ever so slightly around the cup in his hand.

"This is really good!" The priestess exclaimed. She was expecting her drink to turn out bland where Sesshomaru was making it, but was pleasantly surprised to find it tasted positively delicious. "How'd you make it?"

"Just milk and sugar," He confessed.

Incredulous as ever, Kagome questioned him. "That's it?"

He stiffly took a sip before answering. "I also added eye of newt. Can you not taste it?"

Setting down her green cup, Kagome rolled her eyes and took light steps back into her room. "You're hilarious, Sesshomaru, really." A small click sounded through the small apartment and Sesshomaru knew Kagome locked her bedroom door for her to change.

Behind said bedroom door, a panicked little miko dressed herself in black short shorts and a light blue tank top and set to drying her hair. Part of her wanted to crawl out of the window and climb down the fire escape to get to her car and speed off. She knew, however, that plan would end very badly. Sesshomaru, with his heightened senses and whatnot, would undoubtedly hear her trying to scurry out undetected and failing.

 _What if I leave the hair dryer on? Ugh, who am I kidding? That would never work._

Her bag was already in her Jetta and she had at least another twenty-five minutes to try to come up with another plan. What was she to do, though? When she thought she had lost all hope, she gasped in realization.

… _I still have his car keys._

Could she really bring herself to do something so extreme? When she thought about it, curling her hair to let it fall in long waves as she did so, she didn't really have a choice.

 _Desperate times call for desperate measures._

Sesshomaru's keys were in the pair of shorts that she left in the bathroom. She'd have to grab them and leave quickly before he brought it up. Knowing Sesshomaru, he'd bring it up at the worst possible time.

Making a mad dash to the bathroom, Kagome rummaged through her dirty clothes until she heard a distinct jingling sound. All she could do was hope the daiyoukai in the living room didn't hear it as well. The keys were tucked as quietly as possible into the lower part of her bra and were spread in such a way that they wouldn't bulge. She turned around and found the silver-haired dog demon standing tall and looking at her curiously.

"You're going to work dressed like that?" He asked skeptically.

She bit her lip, feeling her face starting to get hot. "No, actually… Well yes. I mean, I leave my uniform at work. They wash them for us. That reminds me, I have to get something out of my car." Kagome made sure to use her words carefully, knowing full-well that Sesshomaru could smell a lie.

Without lacking an understandable amount of dread, Kagome inched her way past the daiyoukai, grabbed her own car keys, and walked out of her apartment. Each stair felt like it was about to give out from under her, but she went on. She had to.

Stealing a glance behind her to make sure she wasn't being followed, Kagome hastily made her way out through the front door and hopped into the driver's seat of her car, starting up the Jetta, but her hands remained frozen on the wheel.

"Oh my god, I'm stealing Sesshomaru's car keys. I'm stealing _Sesshomaru's_ mother fucking car keys. God damn it!" She kept cursing even as she drove down the street, unable to shake the feeling that someone was watching her. Kagome's palms became clammy, which made it a little difficult to drive, and she seemed to have a lead foot.

"Fuck, Kagome, you idiot! Of all the stupid things…" She couldn't believe what she'd done. "He's gonna kill me. I just know it, he's gonna fucking kill me." Her fearful mutters and curses continued until she got to the Silver Lotus.

She pulled into the parking lot in the back, picking one of the 'employees only' spots and grabbing her bag. Upon walking into her place of work, the smell of booze mixed in with cologne and perfume hit her hard. Yoko noticed the miko walk in and greeted Kagome the second her eyes landed on her.

"You're here! Margo's been looking for you for like ten minutes." The brunette stated laxly.

"But my shift hasn't even started yet."

"I know that, you know that, but neither Margo nor her blunt know that. I think it's about your new costume anyways." Yoko used both of her hands to gesture to her outfit. "This is mine, not bad, right?"

The tanned dancer wore a light purple high neck bra with a light purple micro skirt and thong to match. For shoes, she'd been given clear platform heels with a dark purple ribbon that laced up her calves and were tied into bows just below her knees. On her arms were bridal point sleeves that ended about three inches below her arm pits.

"Yeah, I like it. And you can only see your nipples a little bit!"

Yoko gave her coworker a friendly shove before reminding her of that night's schedule. "After you get your new outfit, remember to stay in the back until you hear your theme playing. We're starting early tonight." The brunette made to return to the stage when Kagome called out for her.

"Wait, can you tell me who's up before me? Just so I know when to listen." Kagome watched as Yoko's face twisted in thought before she got her answer.

"You go after Iris, so listen for _Buttons_ by the Pussycat Dolls." The miko nodded and watched Yoko slink behind the darkened curtains to entertain their customers. She put her bag down and went up the stairs to Margo's office, which had been thoroughly fish bowled. Once she opened the door she started to cough straightaway, her blue eyes watering at the contact with all the smoke.

"Amaryllis, darling," Dragged out a worn out female voice, "Where on earth have you been? I've been looking all over for you." Margo sat behind her desk, a lit blunt in her hand and a tired grin on her face.

Waving a hand in front of her face, Kagome choked out her response. "My shift doesn't start for another ten minutes, Margo. I came in early."

The stout woman with pale blonde hair smiled happily. "You did? How excellent. By the way, as I'm sure Lily told you, I've taken the liberty of having brand new outfits designed for my girls! These ones were made to, um, correspond with your themes."

A white gift bag was crudely stuffed into Kagome's hands and Margo pushed her out of her office, urging the dancer to try on the costume. Peeking into the bag didn't help Kagome any, as every piece of material she saw was pitch black and blended together.

In the changing room, the miko discovered the material turned out to be pleather. She put everything on after shoving Sesshomaru's car keys into her bag and beheld her reflection in the mirror before her. Covering her chest was a crisscross halter crop top, with the crossing ending a few inches above her belly button. She wore pleather micro shorts and thigh high boots with silver heels. Kagome also had fingerless gloves that ended at her forearm.

"Hm, it really does correspond with the song." She mumbled to herself. A chipper voice from behind the door surprised her.

"Amaryllis, have you been sprayed?" It was Izumi, known here as Sweet Pea.

"No, I'll be right out. Can you do it for me?" Kagome walked out of the changing room and was met with Sweet Pea staring at her own reflection. "What's wrong?"

"Oh, nothing, I just don't know why Margo keeps getting me pink outfits. Anyways, arms and legs apart, girl, time to look like you just stepped out of a Cullen's wet dream." They both stared at the bottle in disdain before Izumi began to cover Kagome's body with sparkles, focusing especially around her hip, neck, and upper arm areas. "You're all set."

Just in time, no less, as the hypnotic beat of _Buttons_ began. This gave Kagome just enough time to do her makeup. Reaching into her bag, she grabbed eye liner, white and gray eye shadow, and false lashes. She applied the makeup as quickly as she could without messing it up, creating a smoky eye effect and winging her eye liner as best she could.

By the time she was done, Iris's performance was about to end and it was almost her turn. Kagome stood on the side of the stage opposite of the one Iris exited from as she waited for the song to start.

The lyrics boomed around the club as _Pour Some Sugar on Me_ by Def Leppard signaled Amaryllis to go.

She made her way onto the stage, swinging her hips in a way that caught every male's attention. There, the center pole was waiting for her. Her hands wrapped around it and she flung herself in a corkscrew spin to get started. The simple moves progressed with the song, and she was soon executing a forward chair to handspring followed by a bridged outside leg hang.

Men beneath the stage stared up at the dancer in awe, admiring not only her talent but her lithe body and porcelain complexion. They clapped, hollered and whistled as the song came to an end, and the twenty-two year old before them finished her routine with an impressive extended flexi embrace.

By the end of the night, Kagome made almost five hundred dollars in tips alone. Margo, still high as a kite, decided to let her go home early when she mentioned having class the next day. Early, though, meant an hour after initial closing time. The Silver Lotus was still very busy in the late hours of the night, and Kagome wanted nothing more than to get home.

She changed out of the bold costume and back into her shorts and tank top. Her hand slipped into her bag to grab her phone, but to her horror, it wasn't there. Kagome knew none of the dancers would steal it on her, so she figured she must have left it at home on accident.

Kagome got home around 1:15 AM, too tired to remember what she was so frightened of earlier. When she saw the lights were on and the door was unlocked, though, she very quickly remembered.

Sesshomaru was sitting on her sofa, glaring up at her furiously. All Kagome managed to do was blink dumbly and drop her bag. To make matters worse, he had a secure hold on her phone.

The demon's enraged stare alone made her bones lock and her tongue dry. "Ses-Sesshomaru… I can explain."

He stood up, eyes never leaving hers, and sauntered over ominously to the terrified miko. Leaning down, he whispered in her ear. "Good, because you have twenty seconds to do so."

xXx

 _A/N: Only the second chapter and Kagome already pulled one hell of a risky stunt. I wonder how she'll top it off… But I wanted to thank those that left reviews for the first chapter, they made me so happy! Also, in case anyone was wondering, I looked up the moves for Kagome's pole-dancing routine on pole dancing dictionary . com, just take out the spaces._

 _Reviews are always appreciated and a great source of motivation believe it or not. Constructive criticism is welcomed as well, I'm always looking to improve. Let me know what you guys think!_


	3. Sweet Dream, Saccharine

His hot breath hit her neck as he stood motionless beside her, causing her to tremble further. "And don't you dare even attempt to lie." Sesshomaru's voice was harsh and chilled Kagome to the bone. Her heart raced as she began to sweat nervously.

"I…" She tried to speak but found herself mute.

"You what?" Sesshomaru urged her to find her voice as quickly as possible.

"I'm embarrassed about my job, okay? I don't know what you do for work but I know it's a hell of a lot better than what I do. I didn't want you to look down on me and I just… I panicked. I'm sorry." He tilted his head as he backed away to look at her.

Tears were beginning to form in her exhausted eyes. When she looked up at him, he knew both her explanation and apology were earnest. Letting out a curt sigh through his nose, Sesshomaru closed his eyes and pondered how to appropriately deal with the miko.

Perhaps he had changed over the centuries, or maybe he was just too tired, but he decided to let her off the hook. "If you ever pull a stunt like this again, I may very well kill you, am I clear?" She nodded sheepishly. "Make yourself some coffee; I'm not through with you yet."

Kagome did as she was told and wordlessly made coffee, feeling increasingly idiotic for her earlier actions. She could feel his eyes on her back all the while. He was unquestionably watching her from the living room, no, he was studying her! Could it be that he was trying to decipher where exactly she'd been?

 _There's no way he could know where I was just by the way I smell, is there?_

She made her drink and sat beside Sesshomaru. He stayed silent for a moment, just looking at her. He noticed some very peculiar things about her appearance. Kagome was sweaty, which was often normal when someone came home from work, but she was so sparkly.

"Why are you covered in glitter?" Her face reddened at the question.

"One of my coworkers did it as a bad joke." Her fingers now lay on her neck, a spot where the glitter was most noticeable. The simple action caught the demon's attention, and his eyes lingered on the flesh of her throat. "Why didn't you follow me?"

He tore his gaze away from the miko's neck to look fiercely into her eyes, his tone quiet. "It would have drawn too much attention even if I used the concealment spell. But you are not the one asking questions right now." As he spoke, Kagome could feel her eyelids starting to get heavy and she yawned. Though she made coffee, she had yet to drink any of it. The cup merely sat in her palms, warming up her hands to offer her some comfort.

She was starting to fall asleep, Sesshomaru could see, and he didn't want her to pass out in the middle of their conversation. "You made coffee for a reason, Kagome, drink it." He said irritably while nudging her. The miko did so, albeit slowly, but still continued to yawn and tiredly bat her lashes at the demon next to her. At that moment, her phone was placed in her little hands and she looked at it worriedly.

"Did you go through my phone?" The groggy inquiry annoyed Sesshomaru a little, thinking he made it clear that she was the one being interrogated.

"No, I only have it because you left before I could give it back." His tone was blunt and his eyes were hard, yet the girl smiled.

She looked at the TV in front of them, a distant look in her eyes paired with the small grin on her lips. "I have Sesshomaru's number."

The soft statement was enough to make the demon's brow arch and lip curl downwards in confusion. Sighing once more, he realized she must be overtired. Sesshomaru took the cup from her hands and set it down on the coffee table before picking her up.

"Where are we going?" Kagome asked, leaning her head against his chest instantly and clutching onto his shirt.

"You're going to bed, I'm going home." He brought her into her room and laid her down on her bed. For some reason, she seemed sad. "What's the matter?"

"I just wanted you to like me, Sesshomaru. I want to be your friend." It was after the confession that Kagome's eyes closed and her body relaxed as sleep took over.

Sesshomaru stared down at the girl, his face void of emotion as he watched her sleep. His clawed hand found its way to her forehead where it stayed for a moment longer than it should have. "Foolish miko, you haven't changed a bit, have you?" Letting his eyes roam over her one last time, he exited her room to sniff out his keys and went back home once he found them, putting the spell back into effect so no one would see him.

The priestess he left behind was free to dream as she slept off every ache in her body. However, it wasn't her standard dream of puppy ears, boomerangs, and jewel shards. This dream was very different, indeed.

' _There was a sea of white blocking her from the rest of the world. Kagome reached out her hand to touch it, finding it soft and smooth. The silvery mass before her pivoted to reveal the regal demon she called her neighbor, dressed in his red and white Feudal era apparel. His head was cocked, expression difficult to identify, but the look in his eyes was just… hard._

" _Sesshomaru?" She whispered to him. "What's wrong?" Rather than verbally answering her, his body tensed up considerably and he took a step to his left. It was as if he were trying to shield her view of something. Kagome's brow arched and she frowned. This was extremely out of character for the Sesshomaru she was familiar with. Looking down for a moment, the miko saw she was wearing her old uniform from when she was fifteen years old. A gasp slipped past her lips as she hesitantly felt her skirt with her thumb and pointer finger._

 _She looked to the demon towering above her, hoping he would answer her. They stared at each other for a long while, his eyes softening as hers began to water. She didn't know why she felt like crying, but tears were soon spilling down her cheeks, and Sesshomaru silently walked to stand behind the girl. There, about twenty yards ahead, she saw Inuyasha and Kikyo together. They just stood looking at one another beneath the moonlight as the dead miko's soul collectors hovered around them._

 _Regret was painted on both of their faces, and so was longing. Kagome didn't have to be there the whole time to know they'd been debating if their past was too marred for them to have a future together. She wished she hadn't been there as the two filled the gap between them and they were soon locked in a gentle embrace. Now Kagome knew why she was crying. It was a memory from one of the first times she'd had the misfortune of stumbling across the tragic lovers._

 _What had been different in this case was the warm hand she felt on her left shoulder. Her head turned and she saw the eldest son of the Great Dog Demon with his gaze fixed upon her. In his eyes was the most microscopic hint of concern Kagome had ever seen in those two pools of gold. It was then that her eyes widened in realization._

" _You were watching when that happened?" The question was almost inaudible, but Sesshomaru still nodded, confirming her suspicion.'_

Kagome didn't dream for the rest of the night, and by the time she woke up, she would be unable to remember the strange vision.

She didn't wake up until roughly 10:00 the next morning, groaning over attending class while wiping the sleep from her eyes. Skin still shimmering from her performance as Amaryllis, the memory of coming home to one very pissed off Sesshomaru burst through her mind like a grenade of horrible, stupid decisions.

She rubbed her forehead with a slight amount of pressure. " _Why_ did I do that? He didn't kill me, though, so that's generally a good thing." Day one of living next to the stern dog demon and she'd already given him reason to bite.

No matter, she would remedy the situation after her class today, which she really should have been getting ready for. Lazily brushing her teeth after her shower, Kagome thought about what her best course of action would be if she wanted to successfully get back into Sesshomaru's good graces.

 _He's a dog demon… dogs like meat… I should just get him a steak._

A trip to the butcher shop that afternoon couldn't hurt one way or the other. Kagome made up her mind as soon as the thought crossed it. Very shortly after, she was out the door and on the road so she wouldn't be late for her creative writing class. Upon her arrival, the miko straightened out the turquoise short-sleeved sweater dress she wore, as well as the brown belt about her waist. Brown knee-high boots were easily spotted on her feet, giving her attire the right amount of flair. She sat down and waited for her professor to get there.

 _I can hardly remember what happened after work last night._ She thought while rubbing at her eyes. _I don't even remember how I got into bed._

Just then, the classroom door burst open and Kagome's writing professor walked in singing with the sleeves of his dress shirt rolled up as they normally were. In his hands, a pile of movies was easily spotted. He halted in the center of the room where his podium stood, placing the movies atop it and turning to face his class with a grin.

After a moment, he spoke. "Good afternoon, class. I trust you're all doing well today. As you can see, I brought a generous number of films today. Obviously, we won't be watching them all today; in fact we're not going to start them until next week. However, I'd like to go over the titles with you; maybe you've already seen a few."

Each DVD was presented to the classroom, revealing most to be rather popular movies. "Can anybody tell me what these films all have in common?" Not a single mouth opened to even make an attempt at guessing. "Nobody at all? Not a soul? They all focus on _extremely powerful_ emotions. Bravery, fear, grief, anger, love, all drive us to do what we do on a regular basis. Whether we're aware of it or not, no matter how mildly they influence your life and decisions, they dictate and shape you."

"Mr. Collins, what's the point of all this?" One of the blondes in the back of the room asked bluntly.

Her question was rewarded with an enthusiastic answer, as Mr. Collins was a rather enthusiastic man. "Anya, I'm very glad you asked! This is a creative writing course. You're here to learn how to reach into the depths of your soul, grab hold of whatever you may find, and put it in words. What is writing if not done with emotions, if it doesn't inspire emotions? Then it's nothing but a waste of ink."

The class went on for another forty-five minutes and Kagome spent it thinking Mr. Collins was a colossal weirdo and fighting off the urge to pass out for its entire duration. Taking notes alone seemed to prove difficult today, but then again, Mr. Collins was so excited about their new topic that he spoke a little quicker than she was used to. Once the class was dismissed, Kagome packed up her things and went back to the car. It was time to make a quick run to the butcher shop.

 _Apology steaks are one hundred percent normal. This isn't weird at all._ She tried to convince herself as she entered the small shop. In spite of her self-assurance, Kagome still felt awkward buying the largest steak she could afford in hopes to placate Sesshomaru. There was no guarantee he would accept her apology at all, and he'd probably find it odd that she chose to buy beef in hopes of receiving his forgiveness. _Maybe I should text him first._

She took out her cell phone before starting her car, only to find it dead. "Or not, that's cool, too." Naturally, she had forgotten to plug her phone in the night before. "Guess I'll just have to save it until I can get a hold of him. It's probably not a good idea to show up out of the blue when it comes to Sesshomaru."

So with that, she went back to her apartment to enjoy the rest of her day. She took the meat with her after she shut her car off and went inside. The sweater dress she wore was begging to be traded in for sweat pants and a T-shirt, and who was Kagome to turn down such wishes? Upon entering her home, though, she was shocked to find Sesshomaru, without his concealment spell in effect, sitting on her couch yet again. Thankfully, this time he did not appear to look upset.

Kagome gasped. "Sesshomaru, how did you get in here? I locked the door-"

"But you left your bedroom window open." He stated casually, and her brow arched in response.

"You leapt into my window?" Releasing a breath and shaking her head of the demon's odd actions, Kagome questioned him further. "What are you doing here?" He didn't move a muscle, opting to observe her instead. When she caught on that he wouldn't be answering any time soon, her shoulders slouched and she handed him the steak in her hands. "I, um, I picked this up for you today. You know, to apologize for last night."

Thick silence enveloped the two, each waiting for the other to say something. Looking at Sesshomaru in his demonic form almost made Kagome sick to her stomach. How in the world did she manage to summon the gall to steal _this demon's_ car keys? After a period of staring, Sesshomaru finally took the steak and spoke. "You think meat will suffice as an apology for your actions last night?"

Red tinted her cheeks. "I didn't think it would do anything, I just wanted to show you that I really am sorry. But I'd say we're even at this point."

"And what makes you say that?" He asked skeptically.

"I stole your car keys and _you_ broke into my apartment. I was about to go over your house, too, you know." She walked by him to go to her room and plug her phone in, frustration taking hold of her. The miko didn't know he followed her, so one could imagine her surprise when she turned around to find the white-haired demon blocking her path, the steak no longer in his hand. A small shriek sounded from the priestess before she quickly regained her composure. "Do you mind?"

He only smirked down at her. "Not in the least. I still have questions for you."

Kagome felt her hands start to clam up and she tried to steady her breathing. "Can't they wait? I just got home from class, Sesshomaru. At least let me relax for a little bit first." Judging by the look he was giving her, he wasn't going to budge and he was determined to get answers out of her.

 _Trapping me in my bedroom? Give me a break._

"Well," She sighed, "I was going to change out of this. Do you intend to watch?" Golden eyes narrowed at her and she slowly took her boots off. The boots were followed by the belt shortly after, all items carelessly strewn about the floor. "If you don't want to see what's next, I suggest you turn around."

His hands were soon in tight fists and his teeth were clenched. She was testing him, and he was testing her in turn, to see how far they would both go. But something was off about Kagome. The girl seemed almost shameless as she tugged at the ends of her dress. Sesshomaru knew as soon as he saw the fabric slipping over her frame and the pale flesh of her thighs was exposed to him that she was going as far as she had to.

Kagome was only doing what needed to be done, though. She quickly switched to the persona of Amaryllis; daring, seductive, and sly. All she could do at this point was hope she didn't take things too far, and considering her dress had joined her boots and belt on the floor, it looked like that was the direction she was going in. But if it was distracting him, she couldn't entirely complain.

So she stood before the daiyoukai in her black bra and lace underwear to match. Sesshomaru struggled to maintain eye contact with the half-naked woman, letting out a snarl.

"What's the matter, Sesshomaru?" She questioned him with a mischievous smirk. "Cat got the big, bad doggy's tongue?" There was a glint in her eye as she turned around to face the bed. Her next actions, the demon could not have predicted. She lifted up the covers and got into the bed… to take a nap.

Sesshomaru's aggravation got the better of him as he growled and stomped over to the woman trying to fall asleep. Kagome, however, only grabbed hold of the blanket and pulled it over her, turning to face the opposite side of Sesshomaru. "Go away." She mumbled in a mock tired voice.

"I think not." He seethed in her ear, sending chills down her spine. "Get up, _now_."

"And why should I?" She faced him once more, returning to herself, and she sat up. "You don't even tell me you're coming over, you just leap through my window all willy-nilly, and I get back home from school to find you on my couch. Not only that, but I had an apology steak for you. You corner me in my own bedroom, watch me strip, liked it, and-"

"Who said I liked it?" Kagome pursed her lips and looked down.

"It was more showing than telling." She returned her gaze to his face, and saw his eyes had been tinted red. His claws grew longer and his fangs were bared as he growled down at her. The sight of the vicious-looking Sesshomaru frightened Kagome, and her hands soon began to glow a subtle pink.

Whatever was about to go down, was bound to be messy.

xXx

 _A/N: I am so, SO sorry about taking so long with this chapter. It wasn't behaving for me and I've been super busy to boot, so I'd really like to apologize for the wait. Again, I've very sorry._

 _And a huge thank you to everyone who reads, reviews, follows, and/or favorites! You guys are great and each time I see a new review, follow, or favorite I get so happy and just have the dorkiest smile on my face. Thank you so much, guys! You all make me the happiest clam! I'll try to get the next chapter up sooner._


	4. Red Light

"Sesshomaru, calm down," Kagome whispered to him. "Let's not do anything rash, okay?" His growls grew louder and he ignored the little miko sitting on the bed. Glancing behind her, Kagome started to back away from him and made sure to keep eye contact.

 _Why is he getting so angry?! I don't understand!_

There was a shriek as the daiyoukai grabbed Kagome by her ankles and dragged her back towards him. She was soon under him with her legs hanging off the side of the bed. Sesshomaru looked down at the black-haired girl beneath his body, his fangs bared and daring her to try to escape again. Her blue eyes were wide with fear and her palms were soon glowing a brighter pink than before.

Dark red took over gold in an instant, and Kagome knew Sesshomaru was losing control of himself. Had she pissed him off so badly? "What are you doing?! Snap out of it!" With her hand raised, she shouted to the demon. Even with the threat of holy powers literally in his face, Sesshomaru chose to pay it no mind and instead took hold of both her wrists and pinned them above her head.

"Enough!" He yelled, paralyzing her the second he opened his mouth. "Enough with your games and distractions," He lowered his voice considerably before continuing. "You will answer my questions whether you're fully clothed or stark naked, and you will answer them now."

Kagome shakily released a breath she hadn't realized she was holding and it was followed by two more uneven exhales. Her head nodded slightly as she set her gaze to the side, feeling increasingly uncomfortable below the brutal intensity of his glare. "Alright, just get off me. I'll get dressed."

"I'm staying in this room to make sure you don't pull any more of your shenanigans. I'll have my back turned." He stated simply, as though it wouldn't be an issue.

"What? No, get the fuck out!" Cursing priestesses were something Sesshomaru was entirely unfamiliar with and her foul language startled him. It was the twenty-first century, though, and he'd grown accustomed to cussing women and even children, so her choice of words had been disregarded.

It had taken all of Sesshomaru's will power and then some not to lean into the crook of her neck and bite her when she struggled against him. Instead he bent forward, puffing hot air on her exposed throat as he scoffed, his mouth just at her ear. "You seemed so willing to give me a show just a moment ago."

She tried to wriggle out of his grasp but Sesshomaru's strength was limitless, leaving her efforts fruitless. "Cut it out, Sesshomaru, don't be a creep." Her cheeks flushed cherry red in the blink of an eye and she zapped him.

The tiny bolt she shot from her finger landed on Sesshomaru's chest, making him wince and let go of her. He stood to his full height and watched to see what she would do, noticing how the light of her palms died down straightaway. "Look, just go wait on the couch," Kagome said as she covered herself with the blanket, not sure how she should handle Sesshomaru and his odd behavior. "I'll be out in a minute, I promise."

He huffed, eyes back to gold, and looked her straight in her own pair of entrancing blue eyes. "No funny business." He stated coldly.

Without much of a choice, Kagome nodded in agreement. "No funny business. I'll be right out." Reluctantly, Sesshomaru left her room to have a seat in the living room. Her gaze darted to the right of the bed where she left a pair of sweats the other day, and she hastily tugged them on when she noticed Sesshomaru intentionally failed to close the door. Across the floor was a flimsy, dark blue crop top that she quickly pulled over her head. Part of her hoped the daiyoukai wouldn't comment on her exposed midriff, but she was so desperate to get clothes on that she mostly didn't care.

 _I can't believe I just fucking stripped in front of him. Theft followed by a goddamn strip tease of all things, seriously, Kagome? What is wrong with me?_

The miko silently berated herself while walking through the doorway and sitting next to the golden eyed demon. He didn't look at her for some time, and it made her nervous enough to hold her knees to her chest. Behind them, the clock ticked away, and Kagome sighed through her nose as she waited for her intrusive guest to speak.

"What made you think taking my keys was a wise decision?" His crisp voice cut through the air. He didn't turn to face her, keeping his eyes forward and his right arm stretched at the top of the couch.

"I panicked, I wasn't thinking." Hands balled into fists on top of her knees, Kagome bit quietly. "I saw an out and took it. We've already gone through this and I've already apologized profusely."

"Is your job so terrible it drives you to do such imbecilic actions to keep it a secret?" His inquiry was left unanswered simply because Kagome didn't know how to answer it. So, she remained silent. "If it's really that awful and you can't even let your friends know of it then you should quit."

Just as she was about to bite out another retort, Kagome's eyes went wide as she took in what he said. "My friends… You mean you?" The breathtaking daiyoukai beside her did not tense up, but he was looking at her now. In his eyes, both strictness and sincerity were easily found. He meant what he said. "W-well, it's not that simple. I have an apartment, a cell phone, a car, and classes to pay for. I can't pay for them all on minimum wage and this is the only place that would hire me."

A frown played on Sesshomaru's lips. "You don't think you could get another job?"

"I might, but it's really hard, okay? I don't have a lot of skills or experience, and I'm still in school, so it's tough to find work." She tore her eyes away from him to look off outside the small window in the kitchen. "I had to take what I could get."

There was a short pause in their conversation before Sesshomaru spoke up again. "What is it that you do exactly?"

Her head whipped back to face him, her brows furrowed. "If I wanted you to know that don't you think I would have let you drive me to work? It's none of your business anyways. Just let it go."

That last comment is what made the demon snap. "You expect me to let something like this go when I'm directly affected? That is not how this works!" His shouting in turn made Kagome's blood boil, and she stood up to yell down at him.

"Or you could acknowledge the fact that what I did was not malicious in any way and I only did it to protect myself! You mean to tell me you wouldn't have done the same if you were in my shoes?"

He stood then and glared at her menacingly, his eyes bleeding red for the second time that day. "If I were in your shoes I would not have taken on such a disgraceful profession." Both his lethally ruby eyes and venomous comment had taken Kagome aback.

She made the choice to disregard his remark to confront him about his behavior. "What is wrong with you? Your eyes are red again." The blatant apprehension in her eyes did not go unnoticed by the daiyoukai, even when he tried to convince her that his natural change in appearance was due to her angering him. "That's not it; you don't let things as small as this get to you. What aren't you telling me?"

The girl watched his eyes close, and when they reopened they were gold yet again. Sesshomaru became eerily calm and relaxed. He muttered something under his breath, and within the minute he looked like an average, modern day human being. "I have to go."

"What?" He ignored her and made his way to the door. "Sesshomaru, wait!" It was too late, though. He left her there, stumped and a bit sad. Kagome shut her eyes and sighed, rubbing her forehead. "Maybe he just needs some time to himself. Men are weird enough as it is; now I have to deal with a fucking male demon. Whatever, I'll text him later to see if he's okay."

Kagome went about the rest of her day normally, finally going grocery shopping as she meant to the previous day and managing to dodge covering Yoko's shift that night. She'd adequately busied herself to keep her mind off the curious demon that resided in the house next to her apartment. By the time he re-entered her thoughts it was fairly dark out, well passed dinner, and she held her phone in a text-ready position. For one reason or another, though, she was having trouble hitting the send button.

It was just a simple question: _Are you okay?_

So why was it so hard to send three little words? Worst case scenario, he tells her he needs some time to himself to get through whatever was going on. Simple enough… But it was still so _difficult_. She hit the backspace button and held it until the screen was blank and she tried to reword her message. And she did this several times.

 _Is everything alright?_

 _I'm sorry about earlier._

 _How are you?_

 _Hey, what's up?_

 _Are we cool?_

 _I take full responsibility for everything that's happened, truce?_

"Ugh, nothing sounds right," She groaned to herself before settling on something that seemed sufficient enough to her.

 _I'm sorry. Just please let me know you're okay._

The miko sent the text in hopes that Sesshomaru was quick to respond. Five minutes passed, and there was nothing. So she began to pick up the clutter in her living room, which took roughly ten more minutes. Upon checking her phone, she saw there was still nothing.

"Maybe he's in the shower," She mused to herself. Looking out the window proved that he was home, as his car was in his driveway and the lights in his house were on. "Yeah, he's gotta be in the shower. I just have bad timing."

But with another twenty minutes, her phone had failed to go off. "Or he could have company. I mean… There aren't any other cars in the driveway, but he could have picked them up."

Once an hour had passed, Kagome's phone finally went off on the coffee table. From the kitchen, she sprang to it to check her messages. It was from Yoko, though, and Kagome felt her heart sink.

Her text read: _You have no idea how lucky you are you didn't come in tonight. Major creeps this time around._

With a sad smile, the miko chose not to respond. Yoko probably wasn't expecting a conversation while she was at work anyways. "I guess he's not going to text me back." A small wave of anger washed over her. "Let him be a baby, then. He wants to ignore me? Fine, that's just dandy."

Five days went by without hearing from Sesshomaru, and Kagome let the softer side of her take over for a moment to try to call him. Naturally, she got his voicemail and did not leave a message. They hadn't run into each other at all either, though she sometimes felt as if someone was watching her when she left to go places, especially work. Still, it was odd not to run into your neighbor of all people, and it gave her the feeling that he was actively trying to avoid her. Stranger yet, she found herself having dreams every night that all centered around the daiyoukai.

She decided to invite Yoko and Izumi over to her place one night just to forget about everything for a while. It was a rare occasion when all three of them had the same night off. Izumi showed up first, as she usually did, and she wore a simple green sundress with her dark hair down so her blonde highlights could be seen better. Yoko showed up shortly after in denim shorts and a pink tank top, two bottles of wine in one hand and a carton of cigarettes in the other.

"Don't worry, ladies," The brunette stripper sang. "The party has officially arrived and we can get started!"

"Yoko, you are the best! Oh my god, this is my favorite wine!" Izumi praised her. Kagome laughed and thanked Yoko for her contribution to their evening.

"I feel bad, though," Kagome stated, "I have plenty of booze here. You didn't have to spend your money on that, Yoko."

The brunette scoffed. "Oh, yes I did. No offense, but from my knowledge, you only ever get the cheap stuff." She laughed as she poured a glass and handed it to Kagome. "Don't worry, I got you." Yoko was about three years older than Kagome, so she looked out for her in a way similar to a big sister watching over her little sister.

The night went on with much laughter, drinking, and recollections of their experiences working at the Silver Lotus.

"I remember this one time," Izumi began, "When I just started working at the Lotus and this guy came in. He was fucking _gorgeous_ , like, oh my god, I couldn't even believe he was a real person. But anyways, I danced for him; he bought me a drink, the usual. And he gets hardcore hammered, like this guy is smashed to pieces, right? He starts whispering things in my ear, which I was still trying to get used to, and then he _fucking throws up_. All over me, and the chair, and the floor, it was horrible. I almost quit that night."

Kagome and Yoko screeched at Izumi's story. "I can't believe you didn't quit right there!" Yoko laughed, lighting up a cigarette.

"I was this close to leaving on the spot," Izumi confessed, making a gesture that left a tiny amount of space between her thumb and pointer finger. "But Margo came up to me and she was all like 'Oh no, that guy was just drunk and nervous and it doesn't usually happen a lot here and blah, blah blah.' So, I stayed, obviously. But I haven't gotten puked on since."

"That's disgusting, aw that's so gross!" Kagome whined, sipping from her fourth glass of wine. "What about you, Yoko?"

Taking a drag from her cigarette, Yoko squinted in thought before beginning her story. "Well, it was after we closed and I wanna say it was like… at least two in the morning. I'm walking over to my car, all my stuff's in my bag, and then I hear this really heavy breathing. So I turned around and there's like this super creepy guy standing in the shadows. Now, I'm thinking that this guy either wants to rape me and, or, kill me, so I grabbed my phone and was set to call the police. The guy comes over with his arm held out and I'm just like 'Can I help you?' And I see he's got this weird little case in his hand and he goes 'You dropped your wallet.'"

Yoko paused then to take another drag while Kagome and Izumi cracked up, trying not to spill their drinks. "I felt so stupid after that. But it was so sketchy, though! I'm sure either of you would have freaked the fuck out, too." Her fellow dancers could not hide the fact that they would have reacted the exact same way, though it was more than likely that Izumi would have screamed. "Alright, K, it's your turn."

Scratching her head, Kagome tried to think of any outrageous memories from the strip club. "This actually happened the other day. This guy asked for two dancers, so Chrissy and I went up to entertain him. Everything was going pretty well until the guy starts getting really rude and feely. He's grabbing and slapping our asses really hard, trying to grope our boobs, and saying all of this really nasty stuff, and we're trying to smack his hands away from us. He keeps it up, and then this bigger woman comes up and just decks him square in the face! And she says 'Honey, when it comes to vermin like that, just hit them.' And she gave us fifty bucks each!"

"Oh, yeah, I saw that!" Izumi piped up. "Margo had the guy escorted out by Akio, I think."

"Aw, I love Akio," Yoko commented. "He's such a sweetie."

Kagome's brow furrowed as she tried to put a face with the name. "Is that the new bouncer?"

"Yeah, and he's just the sweetest thing. Kagome, you should ask him out! Wouldn't they look so cute together?" Yoko teased the youngest of the trio.

"I'm all set with the whole dating thing. I feel like once a guy gets over the excitement of dating a stripper he'd realize he's dating a stripper. You know how insecure people can get, there's not exactly an overabundance of trust in this day and age." Her two friends agreed with her statement and drank to it.

After a moment, Yoko asked Kagome an interesting question. "So, are you not going to date at all as long as you're at the Lotus? There aren't any guys in your life?"

Kagome caught her bottom lip between her teeth. "Not exactly, I don't really know to be honest with you. But I think it's best for me to just stay single as long as I can while I'm working there."

"But there kind of, sort of is a guy, right?" Izumi asked.

"That's what I heard. Tell us about him, K."

Breathing in, Kagome tried to be as vague as possible but gave the women enough to chew on. "It's this guy from when I was a teenager, he was my best friend's brother but I never really paid him much attention, you know? I was kind of caught up on my best friend, but he was caught up on his ex." Yoko and Izumi both cringed and hissed. "Yeah, I know. So after graduation, we all lost touch, because that's typically what happens. And last week we bumped into each other and exchanged numbers. He came over a few times since then but we haven't talked in a few days."

Giving Kagome a sly look, Yoko asked, "By coming over, you mean…?"

"No! No, god, no, nothing like that, you pervert. But lately I've been having these really weird dreams about him."

"Oh, tell us! I love trying to interpret dreams!" Izumi exclaimed excitedly.

"So, in one of them, he was watching me while I watched my friend leaving to go meet up with his ex. In another, I was crying and I think he was going to wipe my tears away, but he dropped his arm before he could touch me. Then there was one where he almost kissed me and the latest one was kind of… dark."

Yoko's head tilted. "Dark as in BDSM?"

Kagome shook her head. "Dark as in he was going nuts. There were flames all over the place, and he was destroying everything he came across, he was covered in blood. I tried to call out to him and when he looked at me he stopped, and he just stared at me with this animalistic look in his eyes. I've never seen him look that vicious."

Izumi nearly choked on her wine but managed to swallow it just fine. "Holy fuck, Kagome, that shit's intense." With a chuckle, Kagome asked if she had any idea what the dreams meant. "I think it's pretty obvious, K. Your subconscious is telling you that you've always been attracted him, and maybe he's always been attracted to you, too, but you've been suppressing your feelings for him through loyalty to your best friend."

"But what about that last dream? It was so violent I don't know what to make of it." Izumi only shrugged.

"I honestly have no idea, Kagome. The only thing I can think of right now is maybe you feel attacked or overwhelmed by him or your feelings for him. I'm a lot better with this kind of thing when I'm sober." With a chuckle, Kagome brushed the topic off and told her friends they were more than welcome to spend the night since it was apparent neither was fit to drive.

When they were ready to call it a night, Kagome took the couch and gave her bed to Yoko and Izumi. Alone with her thoughts, she replayed what Izumi had told her about her dreams.

 _Feelings for Sesshomaru… That's ridiculous. There has to be something else. There has to be._

She slowly drifted off the sleep after struggling with the concept, involuntarily dreaming of the demon yet again.


	5. Yellow Light

Early the next morning, Kagome woke up to find Izumi making breakfast for everyone, and Yoko was sitting on Kagome's feet while flipping through channels on the TV.

"Who do you think you are?" The priestess grumbled tiredly. "You're gonna cut off the circulation in my feet."

The brunette whined mockingly. "Are you serious? 'Oh, the big, bad Yoko is gonna make my feet go numb what am I gonna do? Oh dear, oh no,'" She was interrupted when a throw pillow hit her in the face. "Unnecessary violence!"

"I was provoked." Kagome muttered while curling herself into a ball so Yoko was no longer on her legs. In the kitchen, Izumi rolled her eyes and went to set up everybody's plates on the coffee table. Each of them had pancakes, bacon, and home fries, which puzzled Kagome. "I had the stuff to make all this?" She asked, rubbing her eye.

Izumi bit off a piece of bacon before answering. "No, I ran out a while ago. You guys were still asleep and I wanted a real breakfast." A few minutes into their meal, Izumi spoke up again. "So, did you have another dream about that guy?"

Kagome frowned a little as she chewed her food. "Yeah, I did. We were in a lake or something, apparently we were skinny dipping." Yoko was about to make a perverted remark, as she often did, but Kagome quickly shoved a forkful of home fries into the stripper's mouth before she could. "So yeah, we were naked. And the next thing I know, we're underwater and just looking at each other. I mean, it was strange, but I'd prefer that dream over the other."

Her friend soaked in every detail while she ate. "You are unquestionably attracted to him. There's not a doubt in my mind. The fact that you were swimming with him symbolizes that you two are connected in more ways than you realize, and going underwater means you're searching for something. Being naked means exposing yourself to him, not necessarily in the same way Yoko exposes herself to her suitors, but in a deeper way. If you haven't already 'exposed' yourself to him, then that dream means you want to."

The red flush on Kagome's cheeks could not be ignored. "And you said there was fire in your last dream, right? Water and fire are opposites, but both are extremely powerful and strong in their own ways. I'm willing to bet you don't have a lot in common with him?"

"Not an awful lot, no. But come on! This still doesn't make sense to me. I've never felt anything romantic for him before." Kagome set her fork down to cross her arms over her chest.

"Because you've been suppressing your real feelings for him, you're not listening. You liked your friend first, right? So to avoid inner conflict, you kind of hid your attraction for his brother to focus on him. Anyways, the most evident reason behind your nakedness would be that you have secrets you're keeping from him, but you _want_ to share them with him."

Kagome played with her food as she looked down sadly. "He doesn't know where I work." She admitted quietly. "I don't want him to know, but I don't like keeping this from him at the same time."

Yoko took a breath and rubbed Kagome's shoulder in sympathy. "We all know how you feel. Not a lot of us are keen on blurting out that we strip for a living. It takes a while to build up to that, if you're serious about him, I mean. Otherwise it's just like 'hey, yeah, I'm a stripper! Buy me drinks' and it's kinda fun."

The miko thanked her friend with a small smile. "Thanks, but I'm not so sure that I really have a thing for the guy anyways. Maybe they're just dreams." Izumi laughed and shook her head.

"K, trust me, you have a thing for him. Otherwise, one, you wouldn't be dreaming about him consecutively, and two; you wouldn't care about keeping your job a secret from him. At least _entertain_ the idea that you're attracted to him. What could it hurt?"

Pursing her lips, Kagome thought about it with pink cheeks. "Fine, I'll try to call him to see if he wants to meet up. He probably won't answer me, though."

"Call him now!" Yoko demanded. "If he doesn't answer, you can use my phone. Just wait twelve minutes in between calls."

"Twelve minutes?" Kagome asked, cocking her head in confusion.

Yoko shrugged. "Twelve is a solid number and it'll be a long enough time to shake off any suspicion that it's you calling him again. I've done this hundreds of times." Izumi confirmed it, confessing that Yoko often used her phone to make the calls. "Call him!"

"Ok, ok, calm down." Her heart was pounding in her chest as she went to retrieve her phone. It was fully charged and now resting in her clammy hands. Sitting before her friends, she looked to them for support prior to making the call. "Should I really do this?" The two dancers gave her encouraging responses and watched her go through her contacts and put the phone up to her ear.

One ring.

Two rings.

Three rings.

Four rings.

"Guys, he's not going to answer." She whispered prematurely, as her face went bright red the second she finished her sentence. "Uh, hey, Sesshomaru! It's Kagome. Listen, I was wondering if we could hang out some time today, if you're not busy or anything."

There was a pause, Yoko and Izumi waited with baited breath to see how the call would go. "Eleven? Yeah, I can do that." Her friends silently and enthusiastically squealed, giving each other a high five. "Okay, I'll see you then, bye." She hung up then. "Oh my god, could you two be any more obnoxious?!"

"Honey, you _know_ we can." Yoko teased. "I am so proud of you! What are you two gonna do? Do you need condoms? I have a bunch in my purse-"

"Yoko!" Kagome shouted. "I don't need any, we're just going to hang out here for a while and talk."

Izumi's brow arched, disappointment evident in her tone. "That's all you're doing?" The raven-haired miko rubbed her arm bashfully.

"He did mention something about grabbing lunch." The trio excitedly discussed Kagome's upcoming meeting with Sesshomaru, which was in less than three hours. After she showered and brushed her teeth, they all tore apart her closet in an attempt to find something suitable for the event. Yoko wanted her to wear the tightest, shortest skirt she owned and Izumi insisted on something more casual and flirty. Needless to say, Kagome went with Izumi's recommendation. She ended up putting on a pair of black leggings, a largely oversized white sweater, and black ankle boots. To finish the outfit, Kagome threw on a gray knitted beanie after she curled her hair to perfection. As she prepared, Yoko and Izumi took to tidying the place up so it wouldn't be a mess when Kagome came back with Sesshomaru.

"Okay, I think I'm good to go." Her friends wished her luck on their way out the door, and Kagome smiled gratefully. She was a little glad they forced her to call him.

 _Maybe now I can get things squared away._

Slinging her purse over her shoulder, Kagome locked up her apartment and went to wait outside. When she made it there, she saw Sesshomaru was already set to go. He was leaning against his car, wearing beige pants and a dress vest to match. Beneath the vest was a white dress shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. On his feet, he wore brown dress shoes.

"Wow, I feel severely underdressed now. You look good." She exclaimed sincerely with a cheery face as she walked over to him.

"As do you, and just so you know, I will be driving my car this time." He informed her stiffly, earning a nervous giggle as he walked around to get into the driver's side. Kagome hopped into the passenger side, her nerves eating her alive.

"So, what have you been up to?"

She wasted no time in starting conversation. "Working for the most part, which is why I was unable to answer your call yesterday." Kagome looked at him speechlessly with wide eyes. Never had Sesshomaru ever explained himself to anybody, and she didn't have to follow him around for the last five hundred years to know that.

Clearing her throat and averting her gaze, she decided to fidget with the zipper of her purse. "I understand, I was just checking in to see how you were doing. I didn't know if you were still…" They came to a stop at a red light, giving him the opportunity to look at her. "You know, mad at me or frustrated with me, or if you felt any kind of negative emotion for me."

The light turned green and Sesshomaru returned his attention to the road. "I have no negative emotions for you."

"Then what was that whole thing about?" Sesshomaru almost smirked, but instead kept a straight face.

"I will tell you what that was about when you tell me where you work." Kagome tucked a lock of hair behind her ear and looked down at her lap. The world outside the car zoomed by, and the miko realized just how trapped she felt sitting beside him. Izumi's words rang through her mind, but she didn't know if she had it in her to feel anything that wasn't platonic for the yellow-eyed driver.

Sesshomaru remained silent until they got to a restaurant, a charming little café called Cibo. When they entered, Kagome was instantly hit with the smell of garlic. The pair was seated within a few minutes, getting a booth with a nice view of the sky and mountains in the distance. As they looked through their menus, Kagome peeked at him with her eyes peering over the laminated paper in an almost childish manner.

"I didn't know you liked Italian, Sesshomaru." She sang playfully.

"Hn, there are many things you don't know about me." This automatically tempted the miko into learning more about him, so she asked about it. "I spent some time in Europe, a decent portion of it in Italy. I didn't dislike it, and the food was not displeasing."

Her eyes rolled and she giggled. "So you liked it there." It wasn't a question; she knew Sesshomaru just didn't want to admit he found a human culture he enjoyed.

"More or less, I suppose it grew on me." He told her all about his adventures in Italy, how he learned the language in a matter of weeks, and how he tried almost every kind of pasta the country had to offer.

"So you speak Italian and you can have as many carbs as you want without gaining a pound," She mused while twirling spaghetti around her fork. "I don't think I've ever envied a man this much. Can you sing and dance, too? Or is that too out there for you?"

Across from her, Sesshomaru was very quiet, more so than usual, and he held an awkward stiffness as if she had just found him out. Kagome couldn't help but feel her mouth twitch as she tried and failed to fight off a shit-eating grin. "Sesshomaru… can you really sing and dance?"

"I have never sung, but in the 1920's I did discover that I have a gift for dancing." As one would imagine, Kagome spent the remainder of their lunch date teasing him and begging him to show her a few moves. Sesshomaru refused, as expected, and stuck to eating his food while ignoring her pleas.

"I can't help but wonder," Kagome thought aloud. "How did you 'discover' your gift for dancing? What could possibly make the great Lord Sesshomaru dance? That's what I want to know."

He grew deathly quiet at the inquiry, setting his fork down and looking at his food. "Sesshomaru?" There was an uncomfortable stillness for a short while, and the miko feared she angered him.

"It was Rin," His answer finally came, and with it, Kagome could hear the faint strain in his voice. "She all but made a scene until I agreed to dance with her. It was her wedding, and she demanded her father dance with her."

She felt her heart skip a beat then, finding herself unable to eat another bite. "Rin? But how?"

"I went to a witch on Rin's eighteenth birthday and foolishly saw to it that Rin's life span would be matched to that of a demon. It took almost two months for the witch to make that damned potion, but she made it."

"Where is she now?"

Sesshomaru almost shifted in his seat, he never did like to remember. "She is married to a demon. The fox kit, in fact." Kagome quickly sat up straight, her inky locks following her movements obediently.

"She's married to Shippo? Where are they now? I have to see them!" The miko's eagerness could not be ignored, but neither could the grim look on the daiyoukai's face.

"It doesn't matter," He bit, "I don't want to discuss this any further."

"What?!" Tension grew between the priestess and the demon. Kagome felt her heart sink, and she was torn between persisting and leaving the subject be, getting the hint that it was a touchy topic for the demon lord. It was almost a struggle swallowing the lump in her throat, but she managed and nodded. They were in too delicate a place for Kagome to start arguing with him. "Alright, I'm sorry."

 _I have to find a way to get to Rin and Shippo. Sesshomaru_ must _have someone keeping watch of her._

Hastily, she steered the conversation in a more comfortable direction. "So what other countries have you been to?"

With time, the suffocation they both endured dissipated and they managed to enjoy their lunch once again. Kagome was able to keep the discussion light, as she often did whenever she was chatting with someone. Sesshomaru picked up the tab without question and refused to let Kagome pay a single cent. Once their meals were paid for, they went back to their street to talk about heavier subjects in Kagome's apartment.

Sighing, the miko sat on the couch and patted the area beside her, beckoning the demon to sit with her. His hair flowed white and his markings appeared on his ivory complexion, and Kagome felt the tinge of intimidation he produced.

"I was hoping we could talk… about the other day when you left." He said nothing, but inclined his head, allowing her to continue. "Look, I really don't know what got into me. I think my professor's lecture from that day really took it out of me and I was just so desperate to take a nap. I figured you would have turned around when I started, um… you know."

"You're forgiven." A few seconds of silence passed them by before he spoke again. "Are you greatly embarrassed by your job?"

Subtle pinks stained Kagome's cheeks. "At first I was, but I got used to it over time. There are only a few people I want to keep it from. I don't want to hurt or disappoint them, or," Her shimmering blue eyes caught his calculating gold ones. "Disgust them. It's complicated."

"Do you think you'll be able to tell me at all eventually?" Her eyes squinted as she hesitated. She didn't think she ever would, but maybe one day guilt would take her over and she'd tell everybody where she's been working, including him.

"I really don't know, Sesshomaru, I'd like to-"

"Then tell me now. If you want to tell me at all, this is your chance." Her facial expression was akin to a deer in the headlights, and he could hear her pulse picking up. She let out a shaky breath and shook her head.

"Sesshomaru, I don't… I can't-" He placed his hand over hers then and looked her in the eye, never blinking.

"Kagome, you can. Trust me." She turned her attention to their overlapped hands and was immediately reminded of Izumi. Her heart was beating faster now than ever before, and her free hand covered her mouth as if to keep her secrets from spilling out right there.

The look in Sesshomaru's eyes was not only insistent, but soft and nearly pleading. She continued to shake her head, muttering "No, no, I can't," to which Sesshomaru replied.

"You can if you want to."

"Why are you doing this?" She suddenly questioned. "Why is it such a big deal? Do you have any idea how strange this is to me? I've never seen this side of you before."

He huffed, a bit discouraged but pursued anyhow. "Would you prefer my behavior from when we were first acquainted?" Without even realizing it, Kagome turned her hand so their palms were touching and she gave his hand a little squeeze.

"No, of course not! It's just," She didn't know what she'd done until Sesshomaru very lightly returned her gesture. "Sorry, I –I don't know why I did that."

"Don't apologize." His hold strengthened the tiniest bit. "Talk to me."

Just when Kagome thought she was about to admit she worked at one of the hottest gentlemen's clubs around, she pulled her hand back and clenched her eyes shut. "I can't do this." She stood and paced in her apartment, trying to find something to distract her but coming up empty-handed. So she turned to face the daiyoukai, staring him down, and mustered up all the seriousness in her body. "Since when do you want me to talk to you anyways? Why would you want me to?"

Her eyes lit with a fiery edge, and that was enough to prompt the demon into standing as well. "Since the first time I saw you watching my idiot half-brother chase after his corpse of a prize."

Silence hung thick in the air, his admission leaving the both of them stunned. He inhaled with a slight aggravation, waiting for her to react. Her eyes fluttered while she took in the information.

"You were there? You were watching me?" Sesshomaru's head inclined. Kagome felt humiliation overwhelm her; she leaned her back against the wall and slid down until she sat on the floor with her knees to her chest. "You were watching me, and you waited until now to say something about it?"

Shifting his weight from one foot to the other, Sesshomaru responded. "It's not as if we had much time for me to make such confessions. You were with the half-breed, you dedicated yourself to him, nothing I could have said in that time would have made a difference to you."

She tried to take slow, deep breaths, looking up to the ceiling. He was absolutely right, they both knew it, and Kagome was having trouble finding words. "But you… We were… Inuyasha…" Her struggle was overcome with another question. "Why did you care about that, though? It's not like you were going to ask me to leave Inuyasha and join you instead."

The same stiffness he displayed at the café earlier made a second appearance that day, and Kagome almost had to choke back a sob.

"Oh my god… You _were_ going to."


	6. Green-a-Light, Go!

_A/N: There is a scene later in the chapter that could be a trigger or make someone uncomfortable. If you'd rather not read that bit, I've marked the beginning and ending of the scene with VVV so you know where to skip._

xXx

Sesshomaru refused to look away from her. She needed to know this here and now because he had made the mistake of putting it off for five hundred years. Procrastination wasn't his style to begin with, and it was an admission most overdue.

"Why? What could I have possibly done for you? I just don't understand." Her throat tightened as she spoke, trying desperately to make sense out of everything. Could it be that Izumi was right?

 _Damn her!_

"Rin looked up to you more than you know. She would have appreciated it immensely if you had been the one to look after her while I was away. Jaken was never an ideal babysitter." Though Kagome believed what he said to be true, the demon could smell his own lie clouding his form. He felt the pang of guilt and shame for backing out and hiding the whole truth from her. At least, he figured, she knew he wanted her to be part of his pack, and that was when he was much colder and apathetic.

She rubbed her right cheek and sighed, not wanting to leave her spot on the ground just yet. "I… I would have done it, honestly, I would have. But I had to help restore the jewel; _I_ was the one that shattered it. I had to help take down Naraku. I had responsibilities, I had-"

"Inuyasha," He finished her sentence begrudgingly, a microscopic hint of jealousy dancing along his tongue as he spoke. "I was very well aware of that. I didn't ask for your assistance because I knew you wouldn't leave." With attentive eyes, the daiyoukai watched the enigmatic human girl braid strands of her hair. He wondered when he had gotten so soft so that now mere mortals could come off as more mysterious than him.

 _ **But she is no mere mortal.**_

His beast purred within him. He damned the demonic dog. The instincts he'd inherited from it tried so hard to take him over when he was around the young priestess, and he fought it in turn. However, sometimes he would slip, like the third time he observed her as she watched Inuyasha run to the clay miko. Sesshomaru's beast became infatuated with her then, admiring her loyalty and wanting it for itself, so it attempted to take action. Or more recently, when Kagome decided to give Sesshomaru a show of her long, lean legs and every curve her body had to offer, Sesshomaru was very close to giving in to his beast and dominating her. Luckily, he regained control at the last second and left as fast as he could.

In truth, he ignored Kagome for several days because he was unsure if he would be able to keep his composure after her display. His beast was more than displeased with him and would put up twice the fight if he was around her or if he even spoke to her. Sesshomaru somewhat wished he could tell Kagome everything, but he specifically said he would only do so if she told him where she worked.

 _ **Console her.**_

Just as he was about to try to say something comforting, Kagome opened her mouth. "Was Rin the only reason you wanted me to join you?"

 _ **Clever girl, tell her.**_

 _ **No.**_

"Strategically, we would have accomplished more and it's very possible we could have killed Naraku earlier in our journey. You have to understand, neither of us were in our prime at that time and we were still more powerful than anyone in your party. You know that's true."

Her arms were folded with each elbow on its respective knee, and she nodded. "Yeah, I know. So I was just a pawn?"

 _ **Don't you dare let her think that, tell her now!**_

 _ **If I tell her now, she won't take it well. Be patient and let me talk to her.**_

"In a sense," He said cautiously. "But not to the extent you assume."

She looked at him skeptically, pausing mid-braid and slightly tilting her head to the side. "You mean to tell me you enjoyed my company way back then?"

 _ **In a sense, but not to the extent you assume.**_ His beast mocked.

"After I got passed your obnoxious antics, yes, I did."

It was quiet for a few long moments before Kagome hit him with another question. "You said you've wanted to talk to me since the first time you saw me watching Inuyasha. Exactly how many times did you watch me?"

"I didn't count."

"Ballpark it," She demanded with a shrug.

"At least ten," Kagome drew a shaky breath. "I felt it inappropriate to approach you."

"You think?" She bit, only to take it back. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry. This is just weird for me and," Absent-mindedly glancing around her home, Kagome's attention was caught by one of the clocks. "I have work in an hour! Fuck me, I completely forgot!"

Sesshomaru followed suit and also looked at the clock. "I'll be going." She almost didn't hear him as she scrambled up off the floor to start getting ready.

"Hey, we're not done talking about this! I'm coming over after work, so make sure you're up!" He was already at the door and incognito, but he turned with an arched eyebrow and his eyes still shining a brilliant gold beneath his pitch-black bangs.

"When do you get off?"

"Um, I don't really know. I'll call you, don't worry." He nodded and made his way out, and once she heard the door shut, Kagome went to straighten her hair with a new-found anxiety. With every curl she flattened, she felt the overwhelming sense of embarrassment, excitement, sadness, and anger. It simply didn't make sense to her! What was more confusing still was the fact that it was Sesshomaru Taisho making her feel this sensation she could only describe as battling butterflies.

Sesshomaru was acting so… un-Sesshomaru-like… and it didn't exactly put her at ease. What was she supposed to make of it? Was she supposed to take Izumi's advice and pretend Sesshomaru of all people had the hots for her and that she felt the same for him?

And what was that whole thing with holding his hand? Had she actually done that? Unplugging the straightener, Kagome ran a brush through her long, dark locks and inspected every section with focused cerulean eyes. Her hair was perfect, just like it always was, just like it was required to be. For one reason or another, she found herself unhappy with her hair.

"Maybe I could use some kind of gel? No, the only ones I have make my hair feel like hay. Bobby pins? That's a no-no. What if I just…" She tried putting her hair up in a high pony-tail, but she found she didn't like that either. "Nothing works!"

The miko expressed her frustration with a variety of colorful words and aggressively tossing several containers of expired hair products in the garbage. She was kneeling at the barrel, glaring down at all the cans and tubes she'd thrown away like her current aggravation was their fault.

"What does he want me to do? I can't change the past; I can't go back in time!" She let out a hard breath at the slight pain in her chest. "Not anymore."

Erratic buzzing came from her purse in the living room, giving her a distraction she gladly accepted. Across the screen of her phone read 'Home', and Kagome wasn't so sure if she was glad to take this distraction after all.

"Hey, Mom, what's up?"

"Kagome, dear, how are you!" Her mother's standard perky tone greeted her ear.

She raised an eyebrow and smirked. "Oh it's been quite an adventure around here, lately. But anyways, I have to go to work in a few minutes, what's going on? Everything okay?"

"Everything is fine, Sota was talking about all of us getting together dinner sometime soon. Wouldn't that be fun?" Running a brush through her hair one more time, Kagome humored her mother as she often had since taking on her job.

"Sure, Mom, I'll let you know when I'm free as soon as I know. Gotta run now, love you, bye!" She ended the call and realized she really didn't have time to change out of the outfit she wore for her date. Grabbing her keys and her bag, she scolded herself on her way out. "If I hadn't taken so damn long doing my hair or throwing a tantrum I could have been ready. I'm such a jackass."

The miko continued muttering curses to herself, about herself, all while rushing down the stairs and passing Fiona. The tardy dancer was closer than she would have liked to letting out a groan when her landlady called out for her.

"Hey, Mrs. Schultz, I'm really sorry, but I'm kind of in a hurry. Is this important?"

"I just wanted to tell you that the next time you allow your coworkers to spend the night and waste it away drinking and singing… You'd better invite me, young lady!" Kagome smiled and laughed in relief, she really thought she was in trouble for a second. "And call me Fiona!"

"Right, sorry! I'll definitely invite you up for a drink next time, I promise!" Kagome all but ran to her car, her hair swaying behind her wildly. She got into her car and started it, pulling out onto the street and speeding off to the direction of the Silver Lotus.

She pulled into the parking lot and stopped in her usual spot, taking her bag with a huff and strutting into the building. White hair and gold eyes plagued her mind even as she carelessly accepted the pink bag Margo shoved into her hands upon her arrival. Kagome muttered a hushed "Thanks," before bolting into the changing room and stripping down. In the bag were a few white pieces of clothing and one ruby red cloth. It was revealed to be a thong once she unfolded it, and she slid it on quickly. Next came the snowy knee-highs, the skimpy skirt, and a corset that hooked in the front that showed a generous amount of cleavage. She put on a pair of tall, white heels and looked at her reflection before going to get sprayed.

The outfit didn't look right to her either, much like how she couldn't find a satisfactory hairstyle not even an hour ago. "What the hell is this? I look like a menstruating virgin sacrifice, how does this have any appeal?" Kagome went to go find Margo, clacking in aggravation until she found her getting ready to go outside.

"Hey, Margo, I need to talk to you about my costume!"

"Yes, doesn't it look wonderful? I knew you'd love it." The older woman said, half-listening as Kagome spoke and rummaging through her bag for her cigarettes. "Come outside with me, I'm dying for a smoke." Slouching her shoulders and putting her hands on her hips, Kagome followed her boss out into the lot. Margo found her box and immediately lit up.

Kagome cleared her throat tried to avoid the smoke her boss puffed out. "About the outfit, it really doesn't look that good, Margo. I look like I just got my period. Not a lot of people are into that."

Margo merely offered a shrug while she went through her bag once more, glowing cigarette resting between her lips. "It's really just meant to give it a bit of um… To give it a bit of _pop_ , you know? Some pizazz, that's all. Didn't matter if it was blue, green, purple, or pink, you get the picture."

"I can't wear a red thong with a white outfit. Nobody is going to want a lap dance; they'll all think I'm on the rag. Are there any other colors, maybe neon green or pink?" The older blonde pursed her lips in thought and put out her cigarette.

"You know what, there just might be! I'll go take a look, you stay right here."

Blue eyes widened as Kagome watched her boss make her way back inside. "What? Why can't I come back in?" Her question fell on deaf ears, as Margo had already shut the door behind her and left the stripper to stand in full costume in the parking lot. She could only shake her head.

"Unbelievable," The slightest bit of panic gnawed at her, she hoped she wouldn't be out in the lot long enough to be noticed by anyone, especially a family member or certain demon lord. However, the panic only grew as she watched the cars pass by, and a white Lincoln caught her eye. "It can't be him," She whispered. "He has no business in this part of town."

A streak of pink burst from the doorway and Margo proudly presented a neon green thong to the young woman. "How's this?"

Kagome grabbed the underwear from her boss and briskly walked back inside. "That's a lot better, thank you." She mumbled as she went to change. In a matter of minutes, Kagome was dressed, sprayed, and her makeup was as good as it was going to get. As soon as she was finished, the miko went by the stage with Peony. Together they waited for the performing dancer on the center pole, Rose, to give them their cue to join her on the poles on either side of her. Rose was in the rainbow position, looking at Amaryllis and Peony now, and she flashed a smile and beckoned the unseen dancers with a single digit. _Womanizer_ by Britney Spears played throughout the joint and the two women sauntered into view to claim a pole of their own.

Their audience went berserk as the three of them twirled and twisted their bodies into seemingly impossible forms. Each dancer's fluid movements sent the men and women watching them into a tongue-lolling frenzy and they climbed to the top of their poles. Peony and Amaryllis slid down to land in Russian splits while Rose remained at the top in a leg lock with one hand on her hip and the other buried in her long red hair.

For the rest of Kagome's shift, she heard customers referring to the trio as "the lovely bouquet", and it made her cringe a little bit. In truth, Kagome couldn't stand Rose and really wanted as little to do with her as possible. But, she went along with it, and when they got countless requests for an encore they had no choice but to oblige. It wasn't all bad, though, since they made ridiculous tips and Margo rewarded them by allowing the women the next day off.

Midnight rolled around, and Kagome decided to clock out early since Margo had gotten too stoned to keep her head up. She changed quickly, washed her face, and went out through the back. It was darker than usual outside, she noticed, and she scolded herself for not trying to find her keys inside.

VVV

"That figures, where did I put those damn things?" She mumbled while digging through her bag. Kagome was too occupied searching for her keys to notice the shady figure hesitantly approaching her. Soon it was taking confident, wicked strides to Kagome's notably smaller form. He inhaled deeply, loud enough to get her attention, and he reveled in watching her freeze.

Kagome pivoted to locate the source of the heavy breathing and dearly hoped she had only dropped her wallet. It was a tall man in work clothes, smelling of most of the bar's liquor and sweat. "I watched you dance earlier with those two other girls." He said drunkenly as his pale fingers tried to wind themselves into Kagome's locks. She instinctively took a step back, but he pulled her hair and brought her against his chest. The man secured her to that spot by clutching onto her scalp and wrapping her hair around his hand.

She tried to scream but no one would hear her over the booming music playing in the building. "You were my favorite." His hand on her back began to trail down and slithered into her pants, taking his time in caressing her smooth bottom and gave it a squeeze. She yelped and pushed against him, but he held her fast and put his nose against her neck to sniff her. "And you smell so nice,"

Her heart was pounding against her chest and her blue eyes were outlined in red as tears welled up. "Let go of me! Please, let me go!" The man acted as if she hadn't said anything at all and ran his hair through the length of her hair.

Kagome's eyes were clenched shut, she knew she was strong, but she wasn't strong enough to fend off such a large opponent in hand to hand. Something dark tugged at her heart as she realized… No one was going to come to her rescue. No one knew where she was. She began to lose more and more hope with each of the man's disgusting touches.

And then, she heard a crunching sound and a screech.

VVV

There was a handsome man with raven hair and fair skin holding her attacker down to the ground. The drunk's arm, she noticed, was distorted as it twitched on the concrete. Her savior spoke to him in a fatally hushed tone.

"If you come near her again, your neck will be the next to break." With that promise of death, the man hit the drunkard's head hard enough to knock him out. He looked up at her then, giving her a clear view of his blazing red eyes and demonic markings. "Are you hurt?"

Kagome found herself unable to move, she could do little more than stare at the man now walking towards her, but when he was within her reach she broke down. Her hands clutched at his shirt and she sobbed into his chest, shaking violently and holding onto him as tightly as she could. "He… he tried to-" The miko tried to speak through her sobs, but she was quieted down.

"Shh, it's alright now. You're safe, Kagome." He nuzzled against the crown of her head and held her in his arms, knowing for a fact that she was safe and no harm would come to her. He managed to calm himself down with this knowledge, his eyes turning gold and his markings fading away. "I'm here."

"H-how did you find me? Sesshomaru, you ass, you followed me, didn't you?" The demon hugged her shoulders.

"I did, we'll talk about it in the morning. Let's get you home." He let go and began to walk to her car when she coughed and looked through her lashes.

"Sesshomaru, will you stay with me tonight?"

Seeing her like this nearly broke him, and knowing what she was so close to going through filled him with a fearsome rage unlike anything he had ever experienced. The only reason he didn't kill that scum was because he didn't want Kagome to see him as a murderer. She needed him now, not her family, not Inuyasha, _him_.

That's exactly why he answered her without the slightest bit of hesitance. "You don't even have to ask." Then she halted.

"Sesshomaru?" She waited until he was looking straight at her to go on her toes and press a kiss against his lips. "Thank you."

He wanted so desperately to return her gesture, to kiss her back and never stop, but after what she was just put through, now was not the time. Instead, he cupped her face and tucked a lock of hair behind her ear, taking in just how breathtaking she was. "You're welcome."

xXx

 _A/N: You guys… You're all the best, seriously. Your reviews are amazing and you're all so supportive of the story. Things have been really rough lately, and I'd like to apologize profusely for taking so long to update again because of that, but the motivation you guys give me is unreal. Thank you so much, I can't even begin to explain how much I appreciate each and every one of you. I'm so, so, SO sorry this took me forever, but I promise the next chapter will be posted very soon!_


	7. Mannequin

Kagome didn't sleep that night, not until she begged Sesshomaru to actually get in the bed with her. Even then, she could hardly find a moment's rest beside him. She knew no one would hurt her so long as the dog demon was near her. She knew said demon wouldn't think of harming her in any way. Still though, the memory of that man's touch haunted her into the early hours of dawn. Sesshomaru stayed up with her all the while and did his best to see that she was comfortable, whether it be by tracing small circles on her back or making a bag of popcorn for her to satisfy a spontaneous craving. At one point, she was fidgeting and playing with his hair, so he let her braid it.

Sesshomaru didn't trouble himself with trying to decipher the meaning behind the small kiss. She had been in shock and was overcome with relief that she'd been saved. It was the shock, relief, and gratitude that prompted the miko to kiss the demon, nothing more. He was sure of it, and it made him ache a little bit.

He didn't speak much; neither of them did that night. There were no words that needed to be spoken. It was still very dark out, about four in the morning, and Sesshomaru knew Kagome wouldn't be getting any more sleep than she already had.

"Do you want me to make you some coffee?" He asked her while stroking her hair as she nestled up next to him.

"Yes, please," Was her meek reply. When he tried to get up, he found her arms hastily wrapped around his torso, preventing him from moving any further. The demon lord almost found it cute and arched his brow.

"I thought you wanted me to make coffee?"

"I do, but I want you here, too." She strengthened her hold on him and hid her face in his shirt. "I'll come out with you." He felt the urge to roll his eyes but didn't object when she got out of bed and glided into the kitchen.

The daiyoukai went to make the coffee at once, stealing glances at the blue-eyed dancer watching the sky. "The last time I made you coffee, you stole my keys," His smooth voice protruded the air in an effort to make conversation. "I trust that won't happen again."

Though her cheeks flushed a pretty pink, she smiled and shook her head, crossing her arms over her chest. "It won't, I'm pretty sure we came to an agreement no such action would ever be repeated. Although, I'm _not_ so sure I should have agreed to it at all. If I'd stolen your keys you couldn't have followed me." She teased light-heartedly, swallowing a newly formed lump in her throat after.

She cleared her throat and straightened out her facial expression, taking on a more serious look. There was no doubt that the two of them were about to have a very serious conversation. "Why did you follow me?"

It took him a few moments to admit his reasons. "I had a feeling. You know dog demons are driven by instinct."

He took note in the way her lips pursed as she pouted and her shoulders slightly slumped. After many years of dealing with Rin, he recognized the expression to be one of both gratitude and annoyance. "Right, I guess you wouldn't have any other reason, huh?"

"You know that's not true."

Focusing her gaze on his face, Kagome was startled to see him looking almost offended. "What other reason could you have?" The question was left without an answer, a hush falling over the apartment and the former enemies in an intense staring contest. Kagome's eyes fluttered and she bent her head down for a moment before padding over to her demonic companion. Sesshomaru watched her tiny hand reach out to play with a few strands of his hair, she didn't attempt to braid it, simply stroking it.

Both of them wanted to say something, anything at all, but neither quite knew what to say. The miko, never exactly tolerant of silence, decided to wing it and let the conversation take its course. "I don't know whether to be mad at you or not, but I suppose you've done worse in the past."

A smirk formed on the daiyoukai's lips at her comment. "Much worse, but things are different now." She relinquished her hold on his hair and tilted her head upwards.

"Much different," Kagome agreed. Izumi's surprisingly profound rationalization of her string of Sesshomaru-oriented dreams found its way to the forefront of Kagome's mind yet again. With some amount of contentment, the miko found it more than easy to get lost in Sesshomaru's striking gold eyes. In fact, it felt almost natural to her. Even more so when his hand came up to rest on her right cheek, allowing her to rub against it. Maybe Izumi had the right idea after all, and she was just too stubborn to acknowledge it. "I really am grateful for what you did. I don't know how I can repay you."

Sesshomaru took the priestess into his arms in an embrace with one hand behind her head and an arm wrapped around her shoulders. "You don't need to repay me."

 _ **It's my job to protect you.**_ He wanted to say, but knew he was in no position to do so. The woman in his arms returned his hold. Sesshomaru could sense her trust in him and was able to smell the traces of joy she emitted, his beast growled in satisfaction.

The largely oversized orange nightshirt she wore proved to be a bad choice in sleepwear when Kagome shivered, prompting Sesshomaru to hold her tighter. He didn't care that the freshly brewed coffee could warm her up just as well, he wanted to do it.

"I feel indebted to you, though. I know exactly what would have happened if you weren't there." For whatever reason, the miko was adamant on showing her thanks. "Please, there has to be something."

Taking a second to think, Sesshomaru knew there was only one thing she could do to repay him and she was not going to like it. Kagome insisted, though, so he might as well tell her what she could do. "Quit your job." Those entrancing blue eyes of hers widened just as he expected they would, and he could see in them that she wanted to be angry. "You're ashamed of it and it's not safe for you there. If that was the first time a man has approached you with malicious intentions, Kagome, I promise you it won't be the last. If you want to repay me then take action that promises me you'll be safe."

"I can't just up and leave my job; I have bills like you wouldn't believe." She broke away from him, taking a cup and walking to the middle of the room. "I have more responsibilities here than I ever did in the past and it's so much harder now. I'm… I'm alone and I don't have anyone to help me."

The weight of her words took its toll on the little miko, but before she could produce a tear she took a gulp of coffee to sober herself. "Inuyasha and the others are gone, my grand adventure is over, and I have to deal with growing up. Finding you was a miracle, Sesshomaru, an absolute miracle. I've felt so out of place since the well closed up and when I walked into Fiona's kitchen that day and saw you sitting there…"

Two hands soothingly rubbing her shoulders took Kagome by surprise. "I know. It was a short while ago, but you've become something of an anchor for me since then, too." She put her hand over his as it rested on her right shoulder and nuzzled it.

Faint rays of sunlight crept their way through the window. Desperation to change the subject clouded Kagome's mind and she found herself wanting one thing. "Wanna watch the sunrise?"

As Sesshomaru let out a soft chuckle, she could feel his hot breath stream down her neck. "Of course," Said the demon. Together, they drank their coffee and watched the dark sky transform into a canvas of striking pinks and oranges. The miko watched the multi-colored clouds above her intently, and Sesshomaru couldn't help himself when he draped an arm around her shoulders. The action went without protest, and Kagome actually leaned into him.

Though his beast approved of this, there was something greatly upsetting the creature.

 _ **Something is holding Kagome back from accepting us wholly.**_

 _ **Not something, someone.**_

 _ **He's not coming back, tell her he perished.**_

 _ **The thought's crossed my mind. I can't lie to her.**_

Sesshomaru was no fool, he knew the real reason Kagome fought against whatever feelings she had for him. To think, a childish hanyou was the one thing keeping the great demon from starting a future with the woman he'd admired for an extraordinary amount of time. He'd even refused to bed any other woman, human or demon, because none of them lived up to Kagome and none left such a remarkable impression on him as she did.

But Inuyasha, that stubborn, immature, dimwit, was getting in the way of everything even when he was continents away without so much as an idea of what was going on. Admittedly, Sesshomaru thought it was rather strange that Kagome had yet to ask for Inuyasha's whereabouts. He didn't even want to think about what he would do should she ask him. Would she want to contact him if he told her? Would she try to see him? The troublesome thoughts itched their way under the daiyoukai's skin until he felt himself growing angry, and his fingers twitched on Kagome's shoulder.

 _ **Do not bring up the half-breed or our efforts will prove fruitless.**_

 _ **Don't be ridiculous, I have no reason to bring him up.**_

 _ **If anything, you have reason not to.**_

Pushing the thoughts aside to deal with another day, he laid his head on top of hers and sighed deeply. "You know, you're not alone." He mumbled.

"What?" Asked the blue eyed beauty as she looked up at him.

"When you said that you're alone and don't have anyone to help you, that's not true. Not anymore," He shifted to better look at her. "And I don't just mean because I'm here now. Have you heard of Lune Corp?"

Had she heard of it? "Yeah, who hasn't? It's a tech company or something; their HQ is actually the next town over. I heard they're coming out with a new smartphone that would rival any Apple or Samsung product."

"I'm the CEO."

Well… She wasn't expecting that. Sapphire eyes blinked several times as Kagome processed what she had just been told. "You're the CEO, and you live _here_? Of all places you chose this shitty, run-down neighborhood?"

A playful smirk formed on his lips. "A luxurious life sometimes calls for simplicity, even if that means buying a fairly adequate house in a… _shitty_ neighborhood. But my point is that with my title and authority, I can give you a job with benefits, including paid vacation and holidays. And I can assure you, with your rate of pay working for me, you would never worry about bills again."

Kagome's brow furrowed. She was shocked into speechlessness. "This is incredibly generous, Sesshomaru, I don't even know what to say."

"Say you'll quit the Silver Lotus and take a week off before you come in to work for me." She smiled nervously and pushed her hair out of her face.

Nobody could argue with a week off, and an exceptional paycheck certainly wouldn't hurt. "What's the position anyways?"

"I'm in great need of a PA." He stated casually.

Biting her lip and flushing, she sipped at her coffee before responding. "I really have no experience with that kind of thing. I don't even have anything to wear, either. All my clothes are, well, casual and maybe smidgeon s-"

The demon silenced her by putting his hand over her mouth. "Kagome, I will take care of everything. You don't even need to go through an interview. Once you quit the Silver Lotus, the job is yours." Her shoulders, formerly tensed, relaxed as she let out a breath she'd been holding through her nose. When he removed his hand, he was elated to see her bright smile undimmed by the events of the night.

"How can I say no when I'm getting a better job, great pay, _and_ the most incredible demon lord I've ever met is taking me clothes shopping?"

He nudged her with his shoulder. "I never said anything about taking you myself."

"Sweetheart, you'd better take me or else I'm going to be ridiculously irresponsible with your credit card." Sesshomaru rolled his eyes, shook his head and flashed a smile. It memorized Kagome, and she couldn't help but to think he looked like a god as she stared in awe. "Hey, Sesshomaru?"

"What is it?"

"You have an amazing smile." Said the student with a grin. If she wasn't mistaken, she saw a subtle blush form on his pale cheeks beneath his magenta stripes, and it made her heart swell up knowing she could make the fearsome daiyoukai blush. "You're really just a big softie, aren't you?"

The smile fell from his face, and the stoic iciness the priestess was so used to returned quickly. "Absolutely not," Before he could say anything else, the miko chimed in with a childish lilt in her voice and nudged him back.

"Are _too_."

It was unquestionably the strangest dawn ever shared by a miko and a pureblooded demon, but neither of them could be any more content. After all, this was the dawn that signaled a brand new beginning.

xXx

 _A/N: I know it's short, but trust me, the next chapter will make up for it tenfold. A few people have messaged me asking if I plan on putting any lemons in this story, and I honestly haven't decided. If you guys want it, I'll be more than happy to (attempt to) deliver, especially where the story already has an M rating. So let me know! Thank you all for reading, I hope you enjoyed this little snippet, and get excited for the next chapter because it's going to be BIG! Constructive criticism is welcome, as I'm always looking to improve, and your feedback is greatly appreciated! All of your reviews are as amazing as Sesshomaru's smile!_


	8. One Man Show

Sesshomaru sat alone in the darkness of his office. Everyone else had left, and he had Kagome go out with her friends for a girls' night out, and a distraction. She had since started her position as his personal assistant at Lune Corp, and she loved it. Once, when he asked for coffee, he was surprised to see she hadn't gotten herself one and insisted that if she wanted something she could take it. Ever since her first day, which was about two weeks ago, they'd been growing closer. They'd sneak off to vacant offices to have lunch, and lurk in shadowed doorways to share kisses of sweet and steamy variations.

In his heart of hearts, Sesshomaru knew Kagome was falling hard and fast for him, but he couldn't help but to wonder if it was because he played the savior card. He truly did want her out of that situation, he genuinely wanted to help her, but could she be swooning because she saw him as a hero? His beast said it didn't matter, but the regal daiyoukai wanted to be sure his new PA was kissing him and not a glorified image she had of him.

As he sat hunched over his desk with his hands folded and thinking about the Higurashi girl's cherry-flavored lips, the phone began to ring. He sneered and let it ring twice before picking it up.

"You're late." He bit curtly.

"Give me a break, Sesshomaru, I had to run out for Rin. She doesn't know about this." The fox bit back defensively. "And before you ask, _yes_ , I got the information you asked for." There was an uneasy tone in his voice that made the daiyoukai feel the minutest bit of worry.

"Where is he?" There was a short pause.

"He knows. He'll be on his way." Twelve seconds of silence passed after the statement was made, which was more than enough to make Shippo uncomfortable. "Sesshomaru?"

The demon struggled to control his breathing and fought not to break the phone in his hand. Part of him regretted not making Jaken dig up the information so he could kick and squash and pound the little demon into a pile of dark green sludge. However, he knew full well that if he wanted said info quickly, Shippo was the man to go through. On top of that, the fox's memory was far more superior to the fearful toad's. "How much time do I have?"

On the other end of the line, Sesshomaru picked up on the sound of a chip bag opening. "Until daybreak on Thursday. He picked the soonest possible flight he could get." Breathing heavily, Lune Corp's CEO tried to think of a reasonable plan to get Kagome out of town for the next few days. It was almost as if his partner could read his mind, as Shippo commented. "I mean, you could take Kagome out for a long weekend getaway or something because he can't afford to stay here for very long, but realistically, she won't go for that. You've done too much for her already, she's not going to keep accepting gifts."

"Then I'll have to make her an offer she can't refuse, and my idiot brother will just miss her." What better way to avoid pesky feelings from the past than to go shopping in France?

Obviously, this was not going over well with the fox demon at all. "If you just told the truth, you wouldn't be in this mess right now."

 _ **He never did outgrow the childlike sass.**_

"If I told the truth, I wouldn't have her." There was a sigh on Shippo's end.

"Really, Sesshomaru, you hardly have her now. You guys aren't dating or anything, and I'm willing to bet neither of you have told the other how they feel. Sessh, I talk to him every week. He misses her so much and he would do anything just to see her, that's why he's coming. Look, I want things to go well for you and Kagome, I really do, but if you don't make a solid move soon… You know he's not going to hesitate."

As much as he hated to admit it, the younger of the two demons was right. He tried pacing himself in wooing the priestess because he was under the impression he had all the time in the world, but that wasn't an option anymore if Inuyasha was on the move. "She hasn't asked about him at all. Not once. She meant to but I think she was too caught up in the Silver Lotus to remember. I believe she's over her adolescent feelings for him."

"Then why go through all the trouble of keeping them away from each other? Because you don't want to deal with Inuyasha? Maybe you shouldn't have told him she was dead." Shippo spat out in disgust.

Gold flashed a dangerous crimson before reverting back, glowing ominously in the shadows of the pristine office. "Watch your tongue, kit. Don't think I won't cut you down just because Rin is pregnant with your child. Do you forget who is responsible for your success?"

The fox hissed. "Yeah, yeah; without you, I am nothing. I've gotten the speech before. But you know what, Sessh? You're being really unfair to Kagome, and if you want to see how she truly feels about you, then let her see Inuyasha." Shippo sighed then muttered. "I'll tell Rin you said 'hello'."

He hung up then, leaving Sesshomaru alone with the dial tone and his thoughts. How desperately the daiyoukai wanted to obliterate everything in sight could not be described in words, and by just one look at him, you couldn't even tell he wanted to go on a violent spree of destruction. His outer demeanor was as calm as ever, but on the inside, he was a hot mess.

 _ **How could he have found out? After all the measures I've taken, all these centuries of planning, gone to waste in the blink of an eye. I was too careless.**_

 _ **We got what we wanted.**_

 _ **No, the kit was right. We don't have her, and there's still so much to do.**_

 _ **Then we must mate her before the hanyou arrives.**_

"Are you so barbaric?" He scoffed aloud. "Times have changed, women are not so easily swayed into commitment. They've grown independent and are reluctant to give up their freedom."

His inner beast whined, and Sesshomaru soon felt the yearning to see the woman that caused him so much trouble and happiness at the same time spread throughout his entire being. Getting up from his desk, the one he still wished to flip over, he shook his dark locks and left to go home. He rarely ever utilized the house he bought, instead opting to stay at Kagome's apartment as often as she let him. He didn't mind the small space, especially where it smelled like her in every nook and cranny, and that greatly put him at ease. And there were several occasions where the miko offered to let him sleep in her bed instead of the couch.

" _No demon lord should have to sleep on the couch that often."_ She said with a laugh and that perfect smile of hers. Kagome Higurashi was, without question, everything Sesshomaru ever wanted and more. In some ways, he was glad he hadn't followed all of the rules he set for himself. After all, buying the house next to her apartment building was no accident. Dog demons had an exceptional sense of smell and had a greater sense of dedication, it's not surprising that Sesshomaru was able to track her down from the moment she was born. For years, he strategized using what little information about her he managed to obtain and his own wit. He knew that he could sway Inuyasha into leaving Japan for a while, and he would promise the half-demon that he'd look over Kagome himself while he was away. They didn't want to mess anything up by popping in on the miko while she was still playing hopscotch with time.

A few days after the well closed up, Sesshomaru realized Inuyasha would soon return to fetch the inconsolable priestess, and that wasn't very good. So, the pureblood told the half-blood that the teenager was involved in a fatal car crash and did not survive. Inuyasha then became inconsolable. Never had he looked so worn out and broken, he appeared to be ready for death himself. His older brother encouraged him to return to whichever country he was previously staying in, informing him that the Higurashi family no longer wanted anything to do with him as it would just be too depressing. All the while, Sesshomaru continued to keep watch over the very much alive Kagome until he felt she had gotten over the past enough to see him. Then he planned on coming into her life when she turned twenty-five, but that plan was set in motion prematurely by three years simply because he didn't want to wait anymore.

Shippo, of course, knew the whole story. His marriage to Rin had granted him certain benefits, like being Sesshomaru's partner as he built Lune Corp up from nothing because the daiyoukai wanted his ward to be in secure hands. Naturally, there were disadvantages as well, like figuring out Sesshomaru's frantic scheme and being threatened with his life. To make matters worse, when Shippo told Rin, she took Inuyasha's side and was furious with her former protector. The dog demon distinctly remembered her saying _"Lord Sesshomaru, I love you, you know I do, but this is lower than I ever thought you capable of sinking."_

The revelation of Sesshomaru's interference with what she believed to be true love just flat out pissed her off, and she made sure to tell him repeatedly how selfish it was. They didn't speak too much after that. He'd been checking in on her a little more frequently since he heard she was expecting a child, which was about six months ago, but she was still upset with him and wished he would set things right. Rin was also especially angry that Sesshomaru forbid both her and Shippo from seeing the twenty-two year old; she knew he feared she would spill everything. And she would, if she had the chance.

Did it hurt? Of course it did, Rin was practically a daughter to him. At the same time, though, Kagome meant a great deal to him. She was the only person on this earth that could soothe him completely, even if it didn't start out that way. He'd spent far too much time looking from a distance and imagining what it felt like to hold her for as long as he wanted, to breathe in her scent whenever he wished and let her lull him into a peaceful slumber. Those dreams were becoming an actuality. He was able to sleep next to her, and wake up to her soft snoring and her legs tangled with his own. During those mornings, the fearsome daiyoukai knew the true meaning of the word euphoria. There was no way in this world or the next he would give that up, not without a fight. Knowing Inuyasha, there was definitely going to be a fight, one that Sesshomaru fully intended to win.

xxx

Earlier that day on the other side of the globe…

After all this time, all these years of loneliness and thinking he'd never be happy again, all those drunken nights where he contemplated taking his own life, there was finally a giant ray of sunshine lighting up his life once again. She was alive, she was living and breathing and working for that bastard who told him she was dead. He'd make sure his older brother got a thorough ass-kicking the next time he saw him, which was going to be very soon.

Inuyasha was upset with himself, too, for believing Sesshomaru so easily. He never went to see her family, or even call, to at least offer his condolences. He prayed to her every night, but he never attempted to visit her grave, that might have been because he wasn't strong enough to. Regardless, the effort should have been made either way. He didn't even look up her obituary. His brother knew how to play him, and he played him like a fucking fiddle. How could he have been so stupid? Grief-stricken to the point of idiocy, and so caught up in taking the blame for her alleged death that he never put any thought into it, he'd never forgive himself for it. Hopefully, Kagome would, and she'd do it with that beautiful smile of hers that always told him everything was going to be okay.

To see her again, feel her warm skin and look into her bright blue eyes and hear her laugh, it was more than he could ever ask for. One thought in particular crossed his mind, though, and that was why she hadn't tried to look for him. Sesshomaru must have told her he died in a fight hundreds of years ago, or maybe during the Second World War. Who knows, she probably would have bought that, considering he _did_ fight in World War II for the Allies when he lived in North America. He was more than relieved to see no one he knew fought for the Axis Powers. It dawned on Inuyasha that this must have been Sesshomaru's plan from the get-go. With him so distracted with wars and other countries, the pureblood could easily have time to plot for whatever reason he had. As far as Inuyasha knew, Sesshomaru didn't have much reason to do what he did other than to hurt him. Whatever the motive, he would find out sooner rather than later, since he was currently packing for his flight, wearing nothing but sweatpants. The only reason he bought a round trip and not a one-way ticket was because there was no way he'd be able to bring all the stuff he needed, and part of him really wanted to bring Kagome back with him and show her the world like that corny movie he saw forever ago.

When he got there, and he was finished kissing Kagome and holding her as tightly as he could without breaking her, he was going to pay Rin and Shippo a visit to thank them. Shippo was the one to drop so many subtle hints that he just couldn't pick up on, not until recently. The couple also did their part in trying to keep Inuyasha's spirits up and Skyped him every week. Rin would show him her very full tummy and that instantly made the hanyou feel better. He wouldn't say it, but he was very much looking forward to the birth of their child. They didn't want to know the gender of the baby, but Inuyasha and Shippo both had a feeling it was a boy. Rin, using her mother's intuition, said it would be a girl.

Excitement and adrenaline filled the half-demon to the brim, nearly to the point where he had the jitters as if he'd had too much coffee. The anticipation of seeing her left him feeling paralyzed, but he fought against it like his life depended on it. Kagome, his Kagome, would be in his arms once more by the end of the week. Nothing would stop him, and Sesshomaru certainly wouldn't get in his way.

"That bastard," Muttered Inuyasha. "Thinks he can pull the wool over my eyes? Well, he's got another thing coming!" Oh yes, he'd get him back, and he'd get him back _good_. Sesshomaru had screwed him over plenty of times in the past, but this…  this was something entirely different. He'd taken it too far. "Just wait 'til I get my hands on that mangy dog."

He huffed as he angrily pressed another shirt into his luggage bag. Inuyasha stood straight with his black hair falling just beneath his shoulders, crossing his arms and furrowing his brow as he looked up through his window and at the half moon. The gentle stellar glow it emitted was enough to soften his face and beckon his arms to drop by his sides. "Kagome," He whispered. "Wait for me just a little longer. I'll see you soon."

Shaking off the lunar trance, Inuyasha resumed messily adding clothes and hygienic essentials into his bag. His flight _did_ leave the next morning, and he didn't have a lot of time to waste.

xxx

As for Kagome, who was completely oblivious to the turmoil the inu brothers were getting themselves into, she was having an absolute ball with Yoko and Izumi. Though they were sad to hear about her quitting the Silver Lotus, they understood completely once Kagome filled them in on what exactly happened. So, the trio gathered at Yoko's house to stay for the night, drinking as much as they wanted and trying to get as much dirt on each other's lives as they could. But of course, it was the former dancer who experienced the most harassment about her personal life.

"You never did tell us what's going on with you two," Yoko coyly slurred, martini in hand. "Spill."

Flipping her hair, Kagome took a swig of the wine cooler she had. "Why, whate _ver_ do you mean, Yoko?" Being shoved on the shoulder had the miko laughing drunkenly. "Ok, ok, I'll tell you. He's my boss now, so, I don't know. It's kind of strange but it's really exciting all at once. I've been trying to keep it as professional as possible but-"

"But you totally want to get in his pants, been there." Yoko finished. "So you guys aren't official?"

Scrunching her nose, Kagome shrugged. "Well, we're definitely not official. We're both single but I'd say we're both unavailable. We kiss a lot, and he sleeps over all the time."

"In your bed?" Questioned Yoko.

"Sometimes, but not always. He's pretty insistent on taking the couch every here and there."

"K, what is wrong with you! You have this dead-sexy, jaw-dropping hunk of a CEO _in your bed_ and you haven't slept with him? You're a _stripper_!" Shouted the crude brunette.

" _Was_ , she _was_ a stripper," Izumi corrected. "But you know what? It's not even a big deal. It hasn't even been a month and they're not a legitimate couple anyways. Give it time, let them fall into a relationship and it'll blossom into something beautiful." She said dreamily.

The fantasy made Yoko scoff in disdain. "This one," She used her thumb to point to their friend. "Still believes in fairy tales. But either way, I'd hop on that if I were you."

Gulping down another mouthful of fruity alcohol, Kagome wiped her chin. "And that is precisely why I haven't introduced you to him." Blatantly ignoring the whines and cries of how unfair she was, Kagome checked her buzzing phone to find a text from Sesshomaru asking how her night was going, making her smile. "He really is the sweetest."

Izumi, setting down her own drink, grinned happily. "It's pretty great that he has so much trust in you, too. You know, cause you're an ex-stripper and you're hanging out with your currently-stripper friends. I feel like a lot of guys would think we'd try to get you to cheat or something dumb like that."

Kagome half-listened, texting her demon back quickly and being especially mindful of her spelling and grammar. She told him it was going well, that she was having tons of fun, and that she missed him. Putting the phone back in her pocket, she gave some thought about the relationship she was beginning to form with Sesshomaru. Not once did she consider if they were compatible; he was definitely smarter and more successful than she could ever hope to be and he went through that whole aristocratic assassin phase back in the feudal era. And she had just quit her job stripping, only because he offered her a better, safer job. She believed he was way out of her league both intellectually and physically.

She was a being of holiness, and he was a creature of an unholier nature. Could they ever hope to have some kind of stability were they to share a future together? Humans and demons made lives for themselves many times before, but a priestess and a purebred dog demon? It had never been done before.

 _I traveled five hundred years through_ _ **time**_ _and back and I'm sitting here, drunk, wondering if it's at all possible for Sesshomaru and I to have a solid relationship. Who am I to question the possibility of things?_

He answered her text as rapidly as she answered his. _I miss you very much._ He wrote. Simple as it was, it made her heart jump to know someone like him missed someone like her. It got her mind racing even further than before.

 _He misses me, Lord Sesshomaru misses me, and I miss him just a much. He wanted to ask me to join his pack. I've seen how ruthless he can be, but he's so tender when he's with me, and every time I kiss him, he returns it. But I still have no idea what we are to each other._

At that moment, Kagome made a very big decision. She texted Sesshomaru to come over as soon as possible, then excused herself and went out to the front porch to wait for her boss. Sesshomaru, being the wondrous marvel that he was, showed up within five minutes and parked in the driveway. He was still dressed in his suite, she happily noted, and it made her a little weak in the knees.

 _Oh gosh, I don't know if I can do this!_

"Is everything alright?" He questioned with a bit of concern coating his tone.

She cleared her throat and nodded sheepishly. "Yeah, yeah, everything's, um… everything's fine." Kagome flashed a nervous smile prior to letting her face fall to a serious expression. "Sesshomaru, what am I to you?" It was best to just get to the point.

The question took the demon aback, he tilted his head and took two steps forward so he towered above her. His arms encircled her waist to bring her body closer to his, and he bent his head to whisper in her ear. "You are extremely important, Kagome, you are so special to me." He hugged her tighter and let her return the embrace, adoring the feeling of her nuzzling into the crook of his neck.

"Then, would you be my boyfriend?" She was shaking violently now, and Sesshomaru had to hold her up. This was the very first time she ever asked a guy out and it was far more terrifying than she initially expected.

Sesshomaru smiled into her hair. "Gladly."

xXx

 _AN: I had every intention of posting this sooner, but there has recently been a death in my family and I've started college within the last month as well, and it's a little difficult to balance with work. But I assure you, I will not abandon this story and leave you guys hanging, especially after all the drama bombs in this chapter. I apologize if updates take a little longer, but know that they WILL come until the story is finished. And as a side note, may I just say, holy freaking crap I cannot believe how many views this story has gotten, almost 13,000! And with so many reviews, favorites, and alerts, I can't believe how many people enjoy the story. Thank you all so much! I'll do my best to work on the updates and keep you entertained._


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